BIZ

What’s The Biz -- February 2010 1

What’s the

February 2010 Vol. 5 # 2

Oxford Area’s Monthly Business News & Info

‘Wiches owner Patrick Hingst cuts the

ceremonial ribbon during the grand opening
of his new downtown Oxford eatery
(40 N. Washington St.), which features
sandwiches, pizza, bagels and soups.
Photo by Andrew Moser
2 What’s The Biz -- February 2010
Guy R. Williams, president of Community Marketing Associates, pitches his pro-
posal to DDA board members Mark Young, Tony Lasher and Don Sherman, along
with Promotions Committee member Ed Hunwick. Photo by C.J. Carnacchio.
Businesses sought for
marketing program
By C.J. Carnacchio
Leader Editor
Guy R. Williams has a plan to market
downtown Oxford, but first he needs to find
out if local business owners are willing to
participate by investing a little time and
money.
“It has to be grassroots,” said Williams,
who’s president of Community Marketing
Associates. “The business owners have to
come to the conclusion that this makes
sense.”
He recently pitched his proposal to DDA
board members Mark Young, Tony Lasher
and Don Sherman along with DDA Promo-
tions Committee member Ed Hunwick and
DDA Director Madonna Van Fossen.
“The communities that are presenting
themselves to the whole area, those are the
communities that people are going to read
about, hear about, and check out,” he told
them.
As someone who’s been helping commu-
nities market themselves since 1997, Williams
North Oakland Dental Group
explained his program has two simple goals
– 1) increase the number of people visiting
Oxford; 2) get as many of those people as
possible to visit at least one business.
“If you can bring 10,000 new people into
Oxford and get 20 percent of those people to
visit one business, that’s 2,000 visits – and
those are low numbers,” he said. “Oxford is
one of those communities where if you come
once, I guarantee 70-75 percent of the people
are going to come back, but you got to get
them here.” • Comfortable Family Care • At Home and In-Office
One of the ways to make that happen is • Warm Friendly Staff ZOOM® WHITENING
by having local merchants issue press re- • Cosmetic Dentistry • Join Us In Our
leases regarding what’s going on with their • Make Over Consultations Newly Remodeled Office Today
businesses.
• Most Insurances Accepted • Quality Care In Our Community
“Every business has newsworthy items;
they just don’t know how to get them out to Since 1981
I-69 Exit #155
the media,” Williams said. “There are two- DOWNTOWN
OXFORD
to-three newsworthy things happening at
every business throughout the year.
830 S. Lapeer 830 South Lapeer, Oxford
Muliply that by a hundred businesses, Drahner Rd.
now you’re talking somewhere between 100 LAKE ORION
and 300 newsworthy stories, and 95 percent I-75
Exit
Please See MARKETING on Page 9
81
www.northoaklanddentalgroup.com

Estate
planning for
young families
Between work, school, soccer practices,
play-dates and all the other demands put on
parents these days the last thing you want
to spend your time or attention on is think-
ing about what would hap-
pen to your dependents if
something should happen
to you or your spouse.
However, advanced plan-
ning may be one of the
most important things you
ever do for your family.
Here are just some of the
many different reasons
Phillip Maxwell young families need estate
planning services:
• To designate who will manage your af-
fairs in the event of a disability and after
death.
• To make sure assets actually pass ac-
cording to your wishes.
• To appoint a Guardian
for your minor children.
• To plan for disabled
children or other family
members.
• To minimize the ex-
pense of administering
your estate upon death.
• To avoid disputes over
the division of family heir- Molly B. Maxwell
looms or other personal property.
• To accomplish any charitable bequeaths.
Estate planning need not be dreaded! Call
our office and set up a free assessment of
your estate and we will show you how simple
and affordable the process can be!
Phillip B. Maxwell & Associates PLLC
248-969-1490
20 Hudson Street, Oxford
Real estate office
changes name
The Coldwell Banker Real Estate affili-
ated company located at 200 E. Genesee
Rd in Lapeer will now be known as
Coldwell Banker Professionals.
Coldwell Banker Professionals has
thirty-six sales associates. The firm spe-
cializes in Residential, Foreclosure, and
Commercial real estate services. Between
its two locations, Coldwell Banker Profes-
sionals services over seven counties
(Lapeer, Oakland, Genesee, Macomb, St.
Clair, Sanilac, and Tuscola) stretched out
across Southeast Michigan.
Coldwell Banker Professionals can be
reached at (810-664-8524).
What’s The Biz -- February 2010 3
When evaluating
Phillip B. investments look at
Maxwell
& ASSOCIATES, PLLC
value – not just price
Most investors pay a great deal of attention
to the price of their investments — yesterday’s
price, today’s price, tomorrow’s price, next year’s
price and so on. And that’s understandable,
ATTORNEY & COUNSELORS because we always want the prices of our in-
vestments to rise. Yet, if you
focus too much on prices,
Specialists In you could end up making
some costly mistakes.
ESTATEForPLANNING
Families
Why? Because price-
driven behavior is emotional
behavior — and as an in-
vestor, you’re much better
off making decisions with
your head, not your heart.
Suppose, for example, that
Come in For you’ve seen a steep decline
in the price of one of your
Your investments. After a while, Andrew Hunter
you may feel that you just of Edward Jones
FREE can’t take it anymore and you decide to “cut
your losses” by selling the investment. Con-
ESTATE versely, you may have an investment that has
gone up and up — and to grab even bigger
EVALUATION gains, you buy more shares.
Both these decisions could backfire on
you. When you sold the investment whose
Call For An price had fallen, you might find yourself on
Appointment Today the investment “sidelines” if that same in-
vestment starts to turn around. And when
20 Hudson St • Oxford • 248-969-1490 you throw more money at an investment
whose price has skyrocketed, you’re betting
against history — because no investment
goes up forever. Furthermore, in both cases,
YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS your emotions will have led you to violate
one of the guidelines of investing – buy low
and sell high.
MAY BENEFIT FROM NEW But apart from the tactical errors you may
make when you over-concentrate on price
movements, you’re also ignoring another key
2010 TAX LAW CHANGES characteristic of investments — their value.
Traditionally, an investment’s “value” has
If you’re looking for tax-free opportunities for retirement, now is a great been largely defined as whether or not it’s
considered “expensive” or “cheap.” That’s
time to talk because tax law changes have created new reasons to con- why many investors take a close look at a
stock’s price-to-earnings ratio (P/E). Gener-
sider converting to a Roth IRA, including: ally speaking, a high P/E means a stock is
more expensive, relative to its earnings, than
• No income limit on conversions a stock with a low P/E. Investors may be will-
• Ability to split your conversion amount equally and report it as in-
ing to pay more for the high P/E stocks be-
cause they feel these companies will be worth
come for tax years 2011 and 2012. more in the future.
But P/E doesn’t tell the whole story of in-
vestment value. Any individual investment may
Call today to discuss how this opportunity may benefit you. have value to you because it can help you di-
Edward Jones, it’s employees and financial advisors are not estate planners and cannot provide tax or legal advice. versify your holdings. And while diversifica-
Please consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation. tion, by itself, can’t guarantee a profit or pro-
tect against a loss, it can help you reduce the
Andrew Hunter Andrew Hunter effects of volatility on your portfolio. For in-
Financial Advisor stance, if your portfolio is heavy with stocks,
. Financial Advisor the presence of some bonds — even those
826 South Lapeer Road
Suite A
826 S. Lapeer Rd., Suite A whose market price has fallen because interest
Oxford, MI 48371 Oxford, MI 48371 rates have risen — can help reduce the impact
248-628-3811 of a downturn that primarily affects stocks.
(248) 628-3811 Clearly, the value of any investment has
several dimensions — any or all of which
may be valuable to you as your pursue your
goals. So, as you build, maintain and adjust
www.edwardjones.com your portfolio over time, keep an eye on the
Member SIPC changing prices of your investments — but
don’t overlook their true value.
4 What’s The Biz -- February 2009

Honey Tree offers more

Good than just coney dogs
WTB’s
Eats By Andrew Moser
When customers step inside Honey
Tree Grille & Coney (978 N. Lapeer Rd.),
they are going to see a new smiling face
Out For Lunch greeting them.
Pat Risk recently took over as man-
ager of the restaurant, and she is bring
32 S. Washington St., her 25 years of experience at full and
Sit Down Oxford, 248-628-9800 quick service restaurants to the people
Italia Gardens (Italian) of Oxford.
Dining 1076 S. Lapeer Rd., At one point she was managing 74
American Legion Post 108 Oxford, 248-628-4112
Thai Cuisine (Thai) Burger Kings, she said.
130 E. Drahner Rd.
Oxford, 248-628-9081 180 S. Washington St. In addition to her warm smiles and
Big Boy - Oxford Oxford, 248-236-9205 upbeat personality, she is bringing some
955 S. Lapeer Rd.,
Coney Joint new additions to an already packed
Oxford, 248-628-3841 menu that includes the American staples
Honey Tree Grille & Coney Country Coney
1040 S. Lapeer Rd., of burgers, fries and coneys.
978 N. Lapeer Rd.,
Oxford, 248-236-4161 Oxford, 248-628-7712 She is also in the process of testing
Ken’s Coney Island Honey Tree Grille & Coney out some new recipes that are created
212 S. Washington St. 978 N. Lapeer Rd. in the back by their two cooks.
Oxford, 248-969-3665 248-236-4161
According to Risk, when the cooks
Lakeville Inn
1318 Rochester Rd. Pizza Place come up with something new, they get
Lakeville, 248-628-4460 Cottage Inn Pizza her to try it, and if she likes it, she adds
Louie’s Food & Spirit 51 S. Washington St. to their daily special menu.
600 Lakeville Rd., Oxford, 248-628-9500 Honey Tree also offers an assortment
Lakeville, 248-628-2440 Fatty’s Pizza of sandwiches, soups, wraps and din-
(The) Nugget 40 N. Washington St.
1055 S. Lapeer Rd Oxford, 248-628-4471 ner entrees.
Oxford, 248-628-2503 Guido’s Premium Pizza There is also plenty of Greek delica-
Ox Bar and Grill 1396 S. Lapeer Rd., cies offered on the menu. One of their
22 S. Washington St. Oxford, 248-969-2111 house specialities is the Moussaka,
248-628-1400 Isola’s Pizzeria & Restaurant Honey Tree Waitress Brandie Bailey, Manager Pat Risk and Waitress Stephanie Parker.
Oxford Hills Golf Club 80 N. Rochester Rd.
which features layers of eggplant,
(Seasonal) Addison Twp., 586-752-3585 choice ground meat, parmesan cheese fast, lunch and dinner specials everyday, and restaurant. For more information about fund-
300 E. Drahner Rd. Jet’s Pizza mixed together with a bechamel sauce. senior discounts are available. raising efforts at Honey Tree, call Pat at (248)
Oxford, 248-628-2518 204 S. Washington St. The menu also offers a limited selec- In addition to the exciting new menu op- 236-4161.
Oxford Tap Oxford, 248-969-5387 tion of pasta and seafood options. tions, Risk is currently installing wireless Honey Tree Grille & Coney (located right
5 S. Washington St. Little Caesar’s Pizza
Oxford, 248-236-0380 89 W. Burdick St., All the items on the menu are avail- internet to the restaurant. by Meijer) is open Sunday through Thursday
Red Knapp’s American Grill Oxford, 248-628-6302 able for dine-in or takeout. She added that she wanted to start having from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday
2 N. Washington St., Honey Tree offers specials for break- local church and school fund-raisers at the from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Oxford, 248-628-1200 Fast Food
24th Street Tavern Burger King
13 S. Washington St
Oxford, 248-628-1217
Tami’s Grill
583 S. Lapeer Rd.
Oxford, 248-628-3636
Dairy Queen
Don’t order out – make your own Pork Chow Mein
1386 S. Lapeer Rd. Oxford, 248-628-3690 I love good Chinese food, but I 1 (5 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts; and broth. Stir well and add to the pan. Cook
Oxford, 248-236-0900 McDonald’s have not always lived where I had ac- drained and stir until thick and bubbly.
Victoria’s Delights 280 N. Washington St.
12 S. Washington St. Oxford, 248-628-2780
cess to it. So, over the years, I devel- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch Serves 6
Oxford, 248-969-3477 Subway Sandwiches oped my own recipes, and filled them ½ cup cold water You Be The Chef
with the ingredients that suite the ¼ cup soy sauce Serve with brown or white rice.
Ethnic 95 W. Burdick St.
Oxford, 248-969-6920 tastes of my family. 1 cup beef broth Add ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Casa Real (Mexican) Uncle Boomba’s Mr. Pita/ 3 Tablespoons canola oil Cook pork in large pan or wok, over to the oil when cooking the pork.
21 S. Washington St., Dairy Queen
Oxford, 248-969-2801 2 (1 inch thick) pork loin medium-high heat, in 1 Tablespoon of To each plate add finely chopped lettuce
1010 S. Lapeer Rd.,
Golden Dragon (Chinese) Oxford, 248-969-2222
chops; cut into strips ½ inch the oil for about 5 minutes. Or, until no and place chow mien on top.
wide by 3 inches long longer pink. Remove the pork from the Make with tofu, beef, chicken or shrimp
3 cups thinly sliced cel- pan. Place remaining 2 Tablespoons of in place of the pork. Adjust the cooking

Restaurant managers ery

-- call us if you would like to
have a menu item featured!
248-628-4801
1 cup thinly sliced onion
oil in the pan. Cook the celery, onions,
and mushrooms about 3 minutes. They
½ pound mushrooms; should still be firm to the bite. Add bean
washed, stemmed and sprouts, water chestnuts and the
thinly sliced Mary Forte cooked pork. Heat through. In a sepa-
1 pound fresh mung bean sprouts rate bowl, mix cornstarch, water, soy sauce
times.
Place on the table in small bowls:
chopped fresh cilantro, crisp rice
noodles, chow mien noodles, chopped scal-
lions
Mary Forte is an Oxford Village Resident.
White Horse Inn celebrates 160 years
Downtown Metamora eatery
enjoys status as Michigan’s
oldest restaurant
By C.J. Carnacchio
Biz Editor
It’s estimated that the average lifespan of
a restaurant in the United States is five years.
Of course, there are always exceptions,
but none so exceptional as the Historic White
Horse Inn in downtown Metamora.
The restaurant is celebrating its 160th year
in business and its status as the oldest res-
taurant in Michigan.
“It’s a humbling thing when you stop and
think of the amount of time, the number of
patrons and the connection to the commu-
nity this place has,” said owner and chef Tim
Wilkins, a 13-year resident of Addison Town-
ship. “It’s not just a building for some people,
it’s a part of their lives. You’re all of a sudden
entrusted with this jewel of theirs. There’s
deep connections to various events that hap-
pened here 50, 60, 70 years ago.”
Originally, the building functioned as a
general store until Lorenzo Hoard purchased
it in 1850 and turned into the Hoard House,
a restaurant and inn charging a mere 50
cents to overnight guests.
Apparently, Hoard, who died in 1888, is
himself a guest at the White Horse these days
as some claim his ghost still roams the estab-
lishment. Probably just keeping an eye on
his investment.
During the Prohibition Era, the name was Addison resident Tim Wilkins has owned the
changed to the White Horse Inn and over Historic White Horse Inn in Metamora since 2001.
the years, the establishment’s changed own- He’s also the chef. Photo by C.J. Carnacchio.
ers many times until Wilkins and his wife Lisa
purchased it in 2001.
Wilkins, who has more than 30 years ex- and vibrant every day,” Wilkins said. “We en- want and they know what they’re willing to But the White Horse keeps getting ship-
perience in the restaurant business, bought joy what we do. We have a lot of fun with it.” pay for it. They don’t mind paying for qual- ments of “top of the line” scallops – fresh, never
the place for two reasons. From its horse-drawn sleigh rides in the ity, but they also want value. You’ve really frozen – from its supplier off the East Coast.
One, it was always a goal of his to own a winter to its classic car cruises in the sum- got to exceed their expectations every time, Prepared simply with a little bit of salt and
restaurant by the time he turned 40. mer, no one can accuse the White Horse of especially when the economy’s taken a hit.” pepper, then served medium rare with a lemon
“I signed the deal to close on this place being a stodgy place. Wilkins works very hard to keep most of butter sauce, Wilkins only needs two words
on my 40th birthday,” Wilkins said. Over the last nine years, Wilkins has trans- his dinner menu under $20 and offer “a little to describe his scallops – “good stuff.”
The other reason was the chance to own formed the White Horse into a successful bit more variety than your average restaurant” But it’s not just the amazing food that
a unique building, rich in local history in- “country inn dinner house” that’s not only a without being “too fancy” or “too formal.” keeps people coming back to the White Horse
cluding being a stop on the Underground local, but a regional attraction. “We’ve tried to create a user-friendly restau- again and again; it’s the ambiance.
Railroad for runaway slaves. “We draw customers from across five or rant that’s comfortable and casual,” he noted. The restaurant offers two different dining
“I couldn’t find the character of this build- six counties,” he said. “We had a good year His philosophy of serving only quality rooms – one with a casual feel, the other with
ing anywhere else,” Wilkins said. “There’s last year and we saw customers coming back, food is exemplified by the White Horse’s sig- a warmer, upscale feel.
not another one in the country that looks like snapping out of their (economic) funk.” nature dish – its “High Street” scallops. “Very few places can offer two atmo-
this, that’s been running this long, that could The secret to the White Horse’s success “It became our signature item very fast spheres in one building,” Wilkins noted.
still grow. People were walking around these is really no secret at all. Wilkins simply en- and it’s stayed that way since the beginning,” So, what does the future hold for the His-
floors 160 years ago. That’s amazing. You sures the quality of his establishment’s food he said. “It’s still one of our top five sellers toric White Horse Inn? Wilkins sees only
don’t see that all the time.” and service remain high and that his menu every week for almost 10 years now.” good things on the horizon.
But just because it’s an historic building and keeps up with changing customer tastes. Over the years, scallops have gotten ex- “I think the White Horse is primed per-
business, don’t for a second think it’s treated “The average customer’s gotten a lot more pensive and hard to buy, so many restau- fectly to continue on,” he said. “We’re opti-
like a stuffy museum. “We try to keep it alive savvy,” he explained. “They know what they rants have dropped them from their menus. mistic.”
6 What’s The Biz -- February 2010

DDA’s ‘Giving Tree’ program benefits charities

Once again, Oxford proved how generous and compas-
sionate it can be through the Downtown Development Debra Meyers (far left), co-owner of the Sweet & Savory Bake
Authority’s “Giving Trees” program that ran throughout the Shop, takes a poster from OHS hoopsters (from left) T.J. Bearse,
holiday season from Nov. 27 to Dec. 31. Ken Coffman and Josh Bell. Photos by C.J. Carnacchio.
Donors contributed approximately $895 and 650 nonper-
ishable food items to nine local charitable organizations that
do everything from feeding the hungry and assisting at-risk
youth to helping senior citizens and giving refuge to abused
women and children.
A total of 54 businesses within the DDA district partici-
pated in the program, which encouraged shoppers to donate
at least $10 or 10 nonperishable food items wherever a “Giv-
ing Tree” was erected.
Living up to their motto “We Work,” members of the Ox-
ford High School varsity boys basketball team went around
to businesses Saturday collecting the donations and trees.
According to Michael Johnson, the DDA’s events coor-
dinator, the money will be split evenly among seven of the
charities, while the food items will be divided between Ox-
ford/Orion FISH and Meals on Wheels.
Nonprofits receiving money include Banbury Cross,
Crossroads for Youth, HAVEN, Love INC, Orion/Oxford Boys
and Girls Club, Problem Pregnancy Center and Oxford-
Addison Youth Assistance.
As part of the “Giving Tree” program, donors got to enter
a random drawing for a $500 prize to be spent at businesses
located in the DDA district.
Of the 130 entries, longtime Oxford resident Sharon Weir
was lucky enough to have her name drawn Monday.
“I’m very excited,” she said.
Weir is not yet sure exactly how she’s going to spend all
that money.
“They said they’d give me a few days to think about it,”
she said. “I know they’ve got some new places to eat down
LED company gets big financial boost
By C.J. Carnacchio duction and marketing of its LED street light technology.
there and I’m curious about those.”
Biz Editor “I would say we’re solely focused on street and area
The two downtown spots she spends the most time at are lighting, which would include parking lots, parking struc-
An Oxford-based company recently received a signifi-
ReGina Paul Salons and Curves. In fact, the salon is where tures, streets and roadways,” McClear said.
cant infusion of cash and is expecting to more-than-double
she entered the contest by donating some food. its workforce by the end of the year. The Farmington Hills-based Beringea LLC, the state’s
“I really want to thank the receptionist at ReGina Paul Relume Technologies (925 N. Lapeer Rd.), a leading manu- largest venture capital firm, made the investment. Beringea
who told me about it,” Weir said. facturer of light-emitting diode (LED) products for outdoor manages $75 million of the $150 million Michigan Growth
– Biz Editor C.J. Carnacchio lighting, recently received an investment of at least $1 mil- Capital Fund, which is half of the Exactly how
lion – with the potential of more to come later – from InvestMichigan fund.
InvestMichigan, a $300 million program capitalized by the The Growth Capital Fund is an initiative focused on
state’s retirement system. retaining and attracting growing companies to the state.
‘The purpose of the investment is to accelerate product “We’re really excited about the support we’re getting
development and our manufacturing capacity,” said Relume through the State of Michigan,” McClear said.
Chief Executive Officer Michael McClear. “We’re expect- Exactly how much money Beringea put into Relume is
ing very big things in 2010 . . . We’re expecting significant not being released to the public.
growth.” “Beringea has asked us specifically not to disclose what
That could translate into more jobs for Oxford area resi- the investment amount was. But it was more than $1 mil-
dents as Relume looks to expand its workforce, which cur- lion,” McClear said.
rently consists of about 50 employees. However, Relume’s CEO noted Beringea doesn’t invest
“Obviously, you don’t know what’s going to happen in just any company.
and it’s still very early in the new year, but we’re expecting “They looked at nearly 500 companies over the last two
to add approximately 75 (new employees) this year and years. And have only invested in less than a dozen,”
maybe as many as 100 next year, if things go according to McClear said. “It’s a huge endorsement of our business
plan,” McClear said. model, what we’re trying to achieve and the fact that we’re
McClear said most of the jobs will be production staff- viewed as one of the premiere LED lighting companies in
related, however, there will be some mid-level and upper Michigan and throughout the U.S.”
management openings such as managers to oversee qual- “We’re really proud of what we’ve been doing here and
ity, purchasing and engineering. what we’re doing with Beringea,” he noted.
Counting up the donated food items are Mark Hazelwood,
Matt Versteeg, Tyler Rose, Kevin Cramer and Gary Wurtz. The investment will enable Relume to ramp up the pro- Please See RELUME on Page 8

‘Shark Tank’ teaches OES
students about entrepreneurship
By C.J. Carnacchio
Biz Editor
It was a case of reality television meets
Economics 101 as groups of Oxford El-
ementary fifth-graders got tossed into the
infamous “Shark Tank” last week.
No students were eaten alive, but they
all learned valuable lessons about what
works and what doesn’t when it comes to
starting their own businesses.
Using a modified version of the ABC
television show “Shark Tank,” Oxford High
School senior Sarah Ricketts and sopho-
more Sara Ruch, both of whom are mem-
bers of the DECA Club, had groups of fifth-
graders come up with ideas for businesses,
then present them to a panel of judges.
For those not familiar with the reality
show “Shark Tank,” which premiered in
August 2009, it features five multimillion-
aire business tycoons (affectionately
known as the “Sharks”) who hear invest-
ment proposals from entrepreneurs and
consider whether to invest in the busi-
nesses.
Ricketts and Ruch decided to use the
reality show as a fun and inventive way to
promote entrepreneurship to the fifth-grad-
ers and teach them exactly what it takes to
build a business from the ground up. On
the flip side, students also learned that
being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone.
For the project, the student groups had
to write a description of their business in-
cluding a list of products and services; do
background research on the leaders in their
industry; design the layout of their build-
ing; create a newspaper advertisement; and
OES fifth-graders Ethan Cutler (left)
and Rachel Kady make a presentation
for their business “Cookies and
Cakes.” Behind them are
OHS DECA Club students
Sara Ruch (left) and
Sarah Ricketts.
determine who their “target market” is (i.e.
the age/gender of their potential custom-
ers).
The fifth-graders also had to pick a lo-
cation for their business and conduct a
SWOT analysis of that spot. For those not
familiar with business lingo, SWOT stands
for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats.
For about a month, Ricketts and Ruch
visited the fifth-graders once a week to
guide them along and check on their
progress.
We taught them all the concepts of what
it takes to be an entrepreneur,” Ruch said.
“We were surprised they were so ex-
cited about doing this with us,” Ricketts
said.
Last week, the students presented their
business ideas and plans to a panel of
judges that consisted of Suzanne Ardelan,
owner of Curves, a gym for ladies in down-
town Oxford; Bill Keenist, senior vice presi-
dent of communications for the Detroit Li-
ons, and Madonna Van Fossen and
Michael Johnson, employees of the Oxford
Downtown Development Authority.
Ashley Prusa and Keaton Giberson
were selected as the overall winners for
their business “Pages,” a book store that
allows customers to not only purchase
materials, but also check them out for free
like at a library.
For their efforts, the winners each re-
ceived a $10 gift certificate to the Oxford 7.
All of the students who participated in
the DECA project were rewarded with a
“Shark Tank” T-shirt and a chocolate bar.
What’s The Biz -- February 2010 7
Committee seeks ways to
jump-start local economy
By C.J. Carnacchio communicating this to draw folks here.
Biz Editor “Oxford is a good place to do business
It seems one of Oxford Township’s New in,” he said. “How do you advertise that to
Year’s resolutions is to be much more proac- people? How do you educate people about
tive when it comes to attracting new busi- Oxford to bring them in?”
nesses and stimulating the local economy. The subcommittee’s also going to exam-
To that end, the township’s newly-formed ine what can be done to help existing busi-
Economic Development Subcommittee held nesses keep their doors open and local people
its kickoff meeting Jan. 7 at Oxford Veterans employed.
Memorial Civic Center. “How many businesses do we keep los-
“It’s really kind of a think tank,” explained ing on a regular basis?” Spisz said. “Of
township Trustee Mike Spisz, who sits on course, we can’t change the economy, but
the subcommittee along with planning com- what can we do as a community to help these
missioners Todd Bell and Jack Curtis. “What places?”
can we do as a community to help boost the Once the subcommittee has some direc-
economy in our area? What options can we tion, others in the community, both citizens
put on the table to take to the township and business leaders, will be invited to par-
board?” ticipate and give their input.
Ultimately, the subcommittee is a recom- “We’ll probably ask other people for help
mending body with no authority to imple-
ment any plans, but Spisz said it’s important
because there’s no way the three of us can
do it all ourselves,” Spisz said.
to have an entity like this generating and pro-
posing ideas.
The subcommittee plans to meet on the
first Thursday of the month.
“We see other communities doing stuff
and Oxford really hasn’t done anything from
what I see,” he said.
Instead of waiting for outside forces to
shape the town’s economic landscape, Spisz
believes it’s time for Oxford to control its own
destiny and start making things happen.
“My big push is to get the ball rolling,” he
said. “Let’s put some things on paper. Let’s
start putting a plan together and see where
we can go.”
With good schools and an active parks
and recreation department, Spisz indicated
the township already has what people look
for in a community. The issue is effectively
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8 What’s The Biz -- February 2010
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Ella Fashion also carries different
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If you are the “giver” type, we can also
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Continued from Page 6
McClear indicated big things are on the
horizon for Relume as more and more munici-
palities are examining the benefits of LED
street lighting, which is much more energy-
efficient, cost-effective, longer-lasting and
environmentally-friendly than traditional
lighting.
“We have our products in evaluation in
probably over 150 cities throughout North
America,” he said.
In Mexico City, for example, Relume is
working hard to obtain a 20,000-light order
for an LED pilot program. If the company gets
it and all goes well, it could lead to a larger
order of more than 300,000 lights.
“It could potentially be a huge opportu-
nity for us,” McClear said. “We just deliv-
ered 10 lamps to Mexico City for evaluation.”
One of the factors helping fuel U.S. com-
munities’ interest in LED street lighting is the
federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Block Grant (EECBG) program, which is pro-
viding grants to states and local govern-
ments to fund projects that reduce energy
use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve
energy efficiency.
“The most popular energy conservation
measure under that program is LED street
lighting,” McClear said.
Lisa DeCampos, founder of Ella Fashion. As part of the American Reinvestment and
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ated $3.2 billion for the EECBG program, of
which Michigan was allocated $76.6 million.
This grant money is helping make the in-
vestment in LED lighting more economically
feasible for communities.
McClear explained that the initial cost of
converting to LED street lights is more than
traditional lighting and that’s always been a
“big hurdle” for municipalities.
“The stimulus money is helping to break down
that barrier,” he said. “As the faucet of the stimu-
lus money starts to open up, we’re really start-
ing to gear up for big things this year.”
Even Oxford has got in on the act as the
township applied for $90,000 in EECBG mon-
ies to replace the village’s 78 metal halide
decorative street lights along Washington
and Burdick streets with LED fixtures con-
trolled by radio frequency signals.
McClear noted it also helps that as tech-
nology continues to improve, the cost of LED
street lights is dropping.
“For example, the same light that would
have cost $1,500 say 18 months ago is going
to cost $600 now,” he explained. “The cost of
LED lighting is going down dramatically.”
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 What’s The Biz -- February 2010 9

James R. Porritt, Jr.

ATTORNEY
30 Years Real Estate Experience
Tenants of foreclosed
Licensed Broker • Chairperson of County Bar R.E. Comm
Member American & State Bar R.E. Sections properties have rights
248-693-6245 When a landlord defaults on the install-
ment payments of a rental property, the
instances where the mortgage is govern-
ment sponsored.
SIMPLE WILLS e Fr lender may foreclose on The foreclosure sale purchasers of
• Self directed disposition of assets Con e Init its mortgage and, at the such properties are required to give the
sul ia
• Your choice of administrator tati l expiration of the redemp- tenants a minimum of 90 days notice to
• Your choice of Guardian for minors on tion period, claim posses- vacate. The previous notice requirement
• Your choice of Trust for minors to be set up after your passing. sion of the property. was 30 days.
“Avoiding Probate” does not justify the cost or inconvenience of setting up a Living Trust and maintaining it for the Tenants of the prop- The tenants are then still entitled to
rest of your life. Michigan’s unsupervised probate procedure is inexpensive, uses preprinted forms, avoids formal erty may of may not be the protections of due process provided
accountings, court appearances, or approval of asset disposition. aware of the foreclosure by Michigan’s summary proceedings for
proceedings and sud- possession.
denly find themselves Tenants of foreclosed properties may
For Sale By Owner Attorney James
facing eviction from their R. Porritt, Jr. find themselves being threatened with ex-
TRANSACTION Short Sales home despite having kept pulsion by agents of the lender or foreclo-
• Advice, preparation of Purchase Agreement, Procedures & Negotiations current on their rents. sure sale purchaser.
In 2009, federal legislation was enacted They should be aware of the legal pro-
Mandatory Disclosures & related documents. If You Must Sell Your Home to provide protection to tenants in those tections available.
• Coordination of financing, inspections, surveys, And Cannot Without A
appraisals, title work & closing Reduction In Your Mortgage
Cash To New Mortgage Transaction 1/2of 1% Balance, Call For An
GROW your business! TELL the community why you’re the
Seller Financed Sales 1% Appointment. best! RESERVE your spot in The Oxford Leader’s annual busi-
(Land contracts, private mortgages, lease with option)
ness review. PROGRESS 2010 is a great way to jumpstart
436 S. Broadway (M-24) , Suite C • Lake Orion this year’s marketing plan. Call Eric Lewis at (248) 628-4801.
Marketing But press releases alone aren’t enough.
Williams indicated they must be coupled with
$50 per month (or $600 a year) toward the
advertising budget.
Because communication is essential to
Williams’ program, if Oxford were to partici-
advertising, which reminds people of the story “We’re just not talking about a whole lot pate, the business owners would be asked
Continued from Page 2 later on. of money,” he said. “I don’t care what busi- to spend five minutes a month reading an e-
of them are missed. That’s heartbreaking.” “You need an advertising budget,” he said. ness you’re in, you can afford $600 a year.” mail from him designed to update them on
Under Williams program, press releases “The people who say advertising doesn’t Usually, when a business spends $600 a year everything that’s going on with regard to
would be handled by a public relations co- work, it’s just not true. We have thousands of they’re “not getting anything that’s going to upcoming events and other businesses.
ordinator (or PRC for short). years of proof that it does work, but you have make a difference,” according to Williams. “The biggest thing is you’ve got to com-
This PRC would be journalism or market- to do it the right way.” Having the businesses pool their money municate,” he said.
ing college student who would work 20 In order to properly advertise the commu- into a larger budget makes each contribution But before he approaches the DDA about
hours a week for Williams’ company. This nity and bring people here, Williams said two much more effective. participating and paying his $45,000 fee
person would spend a good deal of time vis- things are needed. “Every single business benefits from a (which doesn’t include the 15 percent of the
iting local businesses, looking for newswor- The first is eight great community events community advertising budget,” said Will- advertising budget his company would re-
thy items and marketing opportunities. designed to draw people to the town through- iams, noting all the participants would receive ceive for creative services), Williams’ indi-
“What I look for is somebody that knows out the year. a copy of the 12-month advertising plan to cated he needs to know at least 25 businesses
that community,” he said. “A college student The second thing is a $120,000 advertis- review and discuss. are interested in participating.
from Oxford would be perfect.” ing budget to promote these events. The other $60,000 for the advertising bud- Once the initial 25 businesses and the
After finding some news items, the PRC “The idea is to get people to visit for the get would come from corporate sponsors DDA are on board, then he can begin recruit-
writes press releases, which are reviewed and first time,” Williams said. obtained by Williams. ing the other 75 businesses.
approved by the businesses, then issued Each event would have a $15,000 promo- In addition to public relations and adver- “Without business participation, the pro-
by Williams’ company. tion budget that would be spent on advertis- tising, Williams’ program would also help cre- gram doesn’t work,” Williams said. “I think
“The press releases are key. You’ve got to ing through the newspaper, radio, television ate customer surveys designed to generate everybody in the community, all the stake-
do that,” he said. “The one thing I know about and internet. consumer profiles. holders, have to participate in marketing. It
the media is if it’s newsworthy, they’ll cover “Every community I know has great “I want to find out exactly who’s visiting only makes sense.”
it.” events,” Williams said. “The problem is they Oxford, where they’re coming from and what He said the program can’t be a govern-
Having a vehicle like The Oxford Leader never have budget to promote them and pro- they think is missing in Oxford,” he said. ment-led thing, or even viewed as such, be-
to spread the word is a big plus in Williams’ motion is what brings more people.” “We’ll share that information with busi- cause that carries a stigma with most busi-
opinion. The money for this advertising budget nesses.” ness owners.
“One of the things that interested me would come from a mix of local businesses Williams would work with eight to 15 busi- “Almost every business has a story of
about Oxford is you guys have a local news- and corporate sponsors. ness owners to come with “the perfect 10-12 the horrible thing the (municipality) did to
paper,” he said. “That’s huge. That’s a great To make it work, Williams said he would questions” for customers to answer on a card me,” Williams said.
advantage.” need 100 local businesses each contributing when they visit a store.
10 What’s The Biz -- February 2010

Life insurance trusts: an estate planning

Presented by Loran S. Coffman CPhD, RFC
option more families should know about
You may think of life insurance in very life insurance policies for you and your loved person dies before you die, the cash value of is a Representative with H. Beck, Inc. and
simple terms: you buy a policy so that your ones. the policy will be included in their taxable may be reached on the web at
loved ones will have some financial assis- You don’t own the policies, the trust estate. So the heirs (and relatives) of that www.WPSinvestments.com, by phone (248)
tance when you die. does. So the insurance proceeds go into the person will have higher estate taxes to pay 693-5599, or by email
But if you have assets of trust when someone passes as a result. Also, if you do this, you surren- advisor@WPSinvestments.com. See “The
$1 million or more, you should away. Because the trust owns der control of your policy; the loved one you Science of Financial Health”, Coffman’s
view life insurance as a tool – the insurance policies instead of trust could end up naming another benefi- exclusive weekly financial column on the
kind of a Swiss army knife, in a person, the insurance pro- ciary or even cashing your policy out. web every Wednesday at
fact. ceeds aren’t subject to probate, A decision for life. Almost all life insur- www.LakeOrionReview.com.
Life insurance has many income taxes or estate taxes. ance trusts are irrevocable trusts. That is, These views are those of the author
potential uses in estate plan- The trustee can distribute they are legally “set in stone” once created, and should not be construed as investment,
ning, and a life insurance trust those proceeds to one or more unlike a revocable trust which can be amended tax or legal advice. Past performance is no
can certainly help a family. parties as stipulated in the lan- or revoked after creation. guarantee of future results. All information
What does a life insurance guage of the trust. You can make these trusts revocable, but is believed to be from reliable sources; how-
trust do? It enables you and Also, if your estate ends up if you do, you lose the tax benefit: the insur- ever we make no representation as to its
your family to do three things really large, the trust can buy ance proceeds will be included in your tax- completeness or accuracy. Please consult
in particular. additional life insurance to pro- able estate when you die, which could in- your Investment, Tax and/or Legal Advi-
One, it provides you, your vide additional cash to pay ad- crease the estate tax bill for your heirs. sor for further information and advice about
Loran S. Coffman
spouse and your heirs with life ditional estate taxes. However, some irrevocable life insurance application to your specific circumstances.
insurance coverage after it is WPS Investments Sometimes these trusts es- trusts purchase survivorship life insurance Researched and authored by Loran S.
implemented. tablish investment policies for life insurance in a profit sharing plan to permit the ability to Coffman & Peter Montoya, Incorporated.
Two, it allows a trustee to distribute death proceeds, and even timelines for who re- change beneficiaries. Securities offered through H. Beck, Inc.
benefits from a life insurance policy as that ceives what when (families may want to de- If you’d like to know more about life in- Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory
trustee sees fit. lay an heir from legally receiving an inherit- surance trusts or the potentially significant services offered through M.R.Spencer Ad-
Three, it gives you the chance to re- ance until age 18 or 21, for example). changes in estate taxes over the next few visory Services, LLC. WPS-Investments,
duce your estate taxes. Why not just have someone else own my years, talk to a qualified legal, financial or Inc. is unaffiliated with H. Beck, Inc. Branch
When you create a life insurance trust, insurance policy? That scenario can lead to insurance professional today. address of WPS is 189 W. Clarkston Rd.,
you are creating an entity (the trust) to buy major financial and familial headaches. If that Loran S. Coffman representativename Bldg. A, Lake Orion, MI 48362

Making the best use of your marketing dollars

As we’ve seen in this economy, it can’t • You have a method to follow up with
just be business as usual. Every marketing them to increase effectiveness.
dollar needs to be put to the BEST pos- Direct mail (or email) marketing cam-
sible use. Here’s how you can decide where paigns are very effective to reactivate past
each dollar goes… customers – a postcard, newsletter, letter,
Track and Analyze Past Cus- flyer, etc. A campaign means more
tomers than a one-time shot – you need to
Take a good, hard look at your continually keep in contact with
customer data. Analyze the follow- your database.
ing aspects: Getting New Business
• How did they hear about you? While you will get a great re-
• What did they buy? sponse from marketing to your past
• How much did they spend? customers, it is not enough to keep
• What criteria describe them? you growing. In tough times, many
In the end, you’ll have a pic- of your customers are going to go
ture of your best customers and by the wayside, regardless of how Loran S. Coffman, CPhD, RFC
you’ll know how best to find them. well you service them. You need to
Whatever you find brings in the have a constant stream of new leads WPS-Investments Inc.
best leads and customers, figure Vicky Winkler, coming in to replace those custom-
out how to expand that action. If owner of The ers that fall off. This is where that Stone Pine Complex
you do not have a system in place Marketing customer analysis comes in handy. 189 W. Clarkston Rd.
to collect and track this data, Shop, Oxford. Wherever you found your best Lake Orion, MI 48362
make that your number one mar- customers in the past, you need to
keting priority this year!
Strengthen Repeat Business
do more of it in the future.
It is important to have both of the above
248-693-5599
After you’ve done the above analysis, campaigns happening simultaneously – www.WPSinvestments.com
you should have a list of your customers keeping past customers coming back and
with the best ones being at the top. Often generating brand new ones. Make a plan
times you can get more return generating NOW, and stick with it! I think 2010 is go-
repeat business than you will from market- ing to be a turnaround year, and businesses
ing for new customers. Think about what that plan for how they will spend their mar-
you know about your past customers: keting dollars will benefit the most.
• Are interested in your product or service. Vicky Winkler can be reached at (248)
• Know who you are and have trusted 814-0794 or via e-mail at
you in the past. vicky@themarketingshoponline.com.
 What’s The Biz -- February 2010 11

Is the economy Chamber

improving? COOL WINTER
You hear it on the radio and see it on the
news – “the economy is improving”.
Yet you look around and see housing fore- S p e c i a l s moving in
closures in your neighborhood. The news
reports record unemployment levels continue
to be “the norm” in Michigan.
There is evidence Start Saving
Help jumpstart the
auto industry with a
with village
that the economy is with our The Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce is
showing signs of im- New/Used planning to move its office from E. Burdick St. to
provement, but the 18 month CD W. Burdick St. later this month.
changes, unfortu- Special as Car Loan A $300-per-month deal has been reached
nately, won’t turn the
economy around over-
night. While we wait
1.5% APY* low
as 4.5% APR* (2008, 2009 & 2010)
between the chamber and the village in which
the former has agreed to lease 265 square
feet of office space in the latter’s municipal
for the positive complex on W. Burdick St.
changes to take effect, *Limited time “We’re hoping to move the last weekend
many people continue offer - restrictions of January and then be in our new office on
to face the challenge of apply, stop in or Feb. 1,” said Holly Bills, the chamber’s ex-
living on a tight bud- call today for more
ecutive director.
get. Monthly bill pay- Carolyn Chevrier is information
ments start getting president of Lakes Bills gave two reasons for the move – 1)
paid late, or not at all. Community Credit the chamber was looking for a bigger space;
Loss of employment Union. 350 N. Park Blvd. (Lapeer Rd.) 2) the group’s current landlord, John Burt
is a common reason Realty, wants to do some renovations to its
Lake Orion building at 15 E. Burdick St.
why individuals and families fall behind in
their mortgage and credit card payments. But
unemployment isn’t the only thing that can 248-814-4000 The move will be put the chamber office
under the same roof as the village office, po-
cause financial hardships - unexpected fam- lice station, township Parks and Recreation
ily changes including divorce and death, Department and Downtown Development
unexpected medical bills and even car and Authority. – CJC
house repairs could end up causing a lot of www.LakesCommunityCU.org
pressure to your “bottom line”.
Some people start paying their bills by

Mark Your GROW

4
charging their credit cards up to their limit,
only to end up with higher monthly payments
and potential fees! Credit card rate hikes only
your business!
add more misery to the situation.
You may even feel the cash crunch your-
self – what can you do to help avoid finan-
cial distress?
Calendars
If you realize that you are going to start
3 Great Special Sections TELL the community
falling behind on your mortgage payments,
why you’re the best!
the first thing you should do is call your That Will Be Sure To
lender! Don’t ignore the problem or ignore RESERVE your spot
letters from your lender – this will often make
the situation worse.
Increase Your Business in The Oxford
Be careful to avoid foreclosure preven-
Leader’s annual
tion companies that charge fees to help you
avoid foreclosure – fees you could be using
to make a mortgage payment! Beware of firms
that claim they can stop your foreclosure by
4 The Big Deal February 2010 business review.
Inserted In The Ad-Vertiser
signing the title to your house over to them –

4 Progress 2010 PROGRESS 2010 is a

you could end up being a renter in your own
home! Never sign any legal documents with-
out reading and understanding the terms and March great way to
getting professional advice from an attorney. The Lake Orion Review & Oxford Leader
There are also many credit counseling jumpstart this year’s
For Cash
services that can help you create a budget to
help you get a better understanding of where
your income is going and how you can sur-
vive through these times with the resources
4 Spring April
Section
The Lake Orion Review & Oxford Leader
marketing plan.
In The Classifieds
you have. Again – be careful to work with a
reputable firm, find out what fees they charge
and get more than one opinion. Lakes Com-
munity Credit Union offers our membership
Call Your Ad Representative Today Call Eric Lewis at
For More Details
free financial counseling services through (248) 628-4801.
“ACCEL.” Looking forward to positive
changes in 2010! 248-628-4801
12 What’s The Biz -- February 2010

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