Merri Pemberton

GCSTYLE Q News & Information That Empower You To Lead The World USA Small Business & Exporting Special Edition 20-12 Issue GC STYLE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL CREST PRODUCTIONS EDITOR & COLUMNIST MERRI CHRISTI PEMBERTON A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO Emma Granada International Business Development Manager Buildings Al Youngwerth Founder, CEO Rekluse The U.S. Small Business Administration www.sba.gov Copyright 2012, GC Style Quarterly Magazine. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), for commercial purposes without the prior written permission of GC Style Quarterly Magazine. All images, media, and graphics in this magazine credited to other parties are also under copyright. They cannot be used without the written permission of those named parties. Cover Photo Credits Trailblazing Globe by BSK. www.sxc.hu/ profile/spekulator. Woman’s Legs by Maarten de Vries. www.sxc.hu/profile/Umbwungi. Table of Contents SMALL BUSINESS USA WIN BIG WITH EXPORTING Great success stories of two American small businesses who expanded global consumer base. 5-16 STEELMASTER BUILDINGS A world leading supplier of steel arched buildings and roofing suppliers with 40,000 buildings in over 50 countries. Interview with Emma Granada, International Business Development Manager. 7-11 GC STYLE RECOMMENDS The top online magazine for Asia’s high style and fashion with a special section just for men. 4 REVOLUTIONIZING MOTORCYCLE RACING WORLDWIDE Boise, Idaho-based Rekluse introduces to the motorcycle racing industry a new clutch that is capturing the attention of proracers and amateur riders worldwide. Interview with Rekluse Founder Al Youngwerth. 14-16 INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNG LEADERS An organization works hand-inhand with schools to give Bronx students a pathway to college and career success. 18 NOW RECRUITING AFFILIATES AND GUEST CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 19 ADVERTISE WITH US 23-26 INVEST IN YOURSELF WITH A GC STYLE SUBSCRIPTION 20 coming WINTER 2012 A new album by recording artist Merri Christi MUSIC THAT BRINGS A BIT OF PARADISE TO YOUR LIFE For more information www.gcrestproductions.com gcStyle Recommends... The Fashion Destination is “the spot” for Asia’s High Style and Fashion Industries. The young and stylish from around the world are discovering this online portal for the latest trends, exclusive interviews with rising stars in the fashion and style industries, and hot destinations from fashions shows to spectacular salons. The Fashion Destination’s Editor Jacob Isaac created this unique unisex site to give the fashionista and fashionisto a true “voice” in the trends and innovations that take fashion and style to a whole new level. The GC Style favorite picks from Fashion Destination are: Coffee Session Interviews Jacob Isaac’s sit down interviews with the “up and coming” young designers, stylists, and models who are raising eyebrows in the fashion and style industries. Men’s Style We were very impressed with the attention that the site gives specifically to men’s unique styling and fashion needs. Hot Destinations Check out FD”s Destinations page for top picks in salons, events, and shopping spaces that truly “get” the fashion and style needs of today’s young professional. Visit The Fashion Destination at: www.thefashiondestination.com. Photo Credit -Above Left: Jacob Isaac by Jacob Isaac. www.thefashiondestination.com SMALL BUSINESS USA GOING GLOBAL TWO AMERICAN COMPANIES CREATING A WORLDWIDE DEMAND STEELMASTER REKLUSE Photo Credits - Above Right: Photo of a steel relief building by SteelMaster Buildings Below Left: Pro-racer photo of rider Lance Vincent,#55, on the orange KTM. Rider of Munn Racing KTM/Ankle Savers. Photo by Guy B. SMALL BUSINESS USA GOING GLOBAL TWO AMERICAN COMPANIES CREATING A WORLDWIDE DEMAND Do you want to know the secret for success for your small business in this twenty first century market? I’ll give you a hint: 97% of our world’s consumers live outside of the United States. That means, exporting is a wise thing to consider if you want your business to increase revenue and growth. In the USA especially, exporting goods is crucial for getting this economy on a solid path again. There is, however, one huge problem. Less than 1% of American small businesses export. A reason for this issue could be that many small business owners don’t know how, or where to go to learn how to export their goods safely. Another reason could be fear of the unknown, or resisting change that requires them to ship and market to consumers globally instead of just domestic ones. At the 2012 National Small Business Conference that took place in Washington, DC from May 20 - 26; small businesses from around the nation gathered to talk and hear about the issues that affect them and doing business in this new global economy. One important topic and panel discussion was on exporting. The panel discussion called Exporting: Take Your Business Global featured our nation’s successful small businesses who proved that exporting is the way to go for success in this economy. They also discussed the wonderful programs and assistance provided by both federal and state government agencies that help guide and prepare you for exporting. GC Style Editor Christi Pemberton interviewed two of the panel members who discussed their companies’ experiences with exporting and what they offer that has captured the attention and dollars from both domestic and global consumers. Photo Credit: This page and the previous page: Grand Canyon photo by Judy Smith. www.sxc.hu/profile/julysmi. STEELMASTER BUILDINGS VIRGINIA BEACH, VA SteelMaster Buildings, located in Virginia Beach, was founded over 30 years ago and is a worldleading supplier of steel arched buildings and roofing materials. With over 40,000 buildings worldwide in over 50 countries and 6 continents, these buildings serve the construction needs for SteelMaster clients in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors in applications such as aircraft hangars, warehouses, storage facilities, relief shelters, garages, workshops, and many others. SteelMaster’s domestic business has been the backbone that allowed the company to expand to additional revenue generating businesses. SteelMaster decided seven years ago, however, to focus and strategize for expansion abroad. Since then, it has expanded its operations into several foreign markets including Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe among others. This has resulted in extraordinary revenue growth for the company as well as overseas representation of its products in over 50 countries worldwide. SteelMaster Buildings has become one of the major players worldwide in the steel arched building industry due to its exporting strategy and commitment to providing customers with a superior, high-quality product. Photo Credit: A graphic of a SteelMaster building. Photo by SteelMaster Buildings. In just seven years, SteelMaster Buildings turned an obstacle that almost buried our nation’s business growth into a major success. This success has become an inspiration for both small and large companies nationwide. In the thick of our nation’s tumultuous economy, the 50-employee SteelMaster company took its expertise in the sales of steel and metal pre-fabricated arched buildings to an international consumer base and became a highly successful product exporter. SteelMaster has seen its international sales increase from less than 3 percent of its revenue to about 20 percent in just seven years. This goes to show that small businesses can successfully increase their consumer base and revenue when they export. GC Style Editor Christi Pembertonʼs interview with SteelMaster’s International Business Development Manager, Emma Granada, will cover the company’s recipe for success in exporting, where to go for help in exporting your products safely and with less risk, advice for small businesses looking to export, and marketing to global consumers. Originally from Peru, Emma Granada moved to Virginia Beach at a very early age. Her tech knowledge and education brought her to study in chemical engineering at the University of Virginia in 2000 and eventually an MBA in International Business and Finance from Regent University in 2009. Soon after she graduated in 2000, she moved and relocated to Honduras to work for the U.S. company Chevron. Seven years ago, she moved back to Virginia with her family where she was hired to become the International Business Development Manager for SteelMaster Buildings, a company that was undergoing an exciting transition at the time. This transition led to the company becoming one of the most innovative in the USA. During the time that Emma interviewed for and started her new job at SteelMaster seven years ago, the company was beginning an exciting new strategy to aggressively expand its exporting efforts and penetrate new markets abroad. The results included the opposite to what many companies experienced during that rocky economic period. While companies had massive layoffs, SteelMaster kept their employees and have grown in the number of employees as well. Interview with Emma Granada, SteelMaster’s International Business Development Manager: Christi: What was your contribution to the Exporting: Take Your Business Global forum at the annual National Small Business Week Conference that was held in Washington, D.C.? Emma: We were invited by the Small Business Administration to participate on the panel for the Taking your Business Global. SteelMaster had won a national SBA award the year prior through creating a video about the company’s success for doing business internationally. In addition, SteelMaster was recognized by SBA as the 2012 Virginia SBA Small Business Exporter of the year. Our role on the panel was to share our exporting story to small companies looking to do international business. All members of the panel spoke about the lessons learned and their experiences with exporting globally. I specifically talked about our international experience in the past seven years in addition to the work that we had with federal and state agencies such as the SBA, the Department of Commerce, the US Commercial Service, and also the Virginia Economic Partnership. These agencies provide valuable guidance to small businesses for exporting their products. In addition, I shared the importance of having a strong network. Throughout these years, we have met various trade officers from all around the world and people who have provided us with assistance and international expertise. I have been able to reach out in several occasions to trade officers in South Africa, Algeria, Mexico, and various countries in Latin America for example. For all businesses, you have to remember what I call the 4 P’s - Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. Product: You need to learn about those nations that need your product and find who the local competitors are. For SteelMaster, we concentrate in geographical areas that need infrastructure and have a strong need for our structures whether it is for shelters, or storage facilities or aircraft hangars. By keeping those needs in mind, we focus on nations such as emerging markets, especially in Latin America and Africa. Place: It is good to first concentrate on nations that have a lower barrier to entry; places where you know you can go into without very many obstacles and restrictions. The reason for this is that its always good to have quick successes right away to motivate you to continue to increase your business internationally. Also, nations that have lower barriers to entry will welcome your products more openly, which will allow for you to increase the presence of your brand overseas and establish a strong footprint right away. For instance, consider those countries that share free trade agreements with the USA, because the tariffs will be lower which will in turn make your product more competitive in the local market. Price: It is so important to have the right price for the products you want to export. You may have to adjust the price according to the foreign market you want to penetrate. Again, learn your local competition and the pricing of their products. Promotion: Decide the best marketing strategy for your company and the target demographic you want to reach. Can you best reach your consumers through social media, print advertising, or by other means? Our marketing department does it all from social media to video and photo sharing. Christi: Talk to us about your company’s strategy for exporting and its success in the seven past years for increasing exports? Emma: Challenged by growing competition in the domestic market seven years ago, the company’s leadership made the strategic decision to invest in overseas expansion during a time of economic uncertainty. SteelMaster Buildings decided to expand to additional revenue generating businesses. Recognizing that 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside of the U.S., SteelMaster Buildings began to develop a focused and structured international sales strategy seven years ago. Since then, it has expanded its operations into several foreign markets including Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe among others. During those seven years, 20% of total revenue came from our exports. We expanded our reach from 4 countries to 50 countries in 6 continents, have over 40 distributors, and over 40,000 SteelMaster buildings constructed globally. Christi: Which industries and businesses do you receive the most demand for your buildings? Emma: We provide buildings for residential, commercial and industrial applications. We also work with the military and various sectors, such as agricultural, housing, green buildings, emergency relief structures to name a few. Our buildings can be used as garages, workshops, carports, aircraft hangers, warehouses, residential, steel homes, and athletic facilities. We are getting involved more and more with the marketing of our structures to be used as emergency relief shelters. In fact, for the past 2 years we have been reaching out to those countries that have faced natural disasters and need our buildings to provide shelters, which are very strong and can endure heavy winds. We are participating in the Aid and International Development Forum Trade show on June 6-7th in Washington DC. Through this trade show we are reaching out to NGO’s and agencies that are looking for temporary or permanent shelters for disaster relief construction overseas. In addition, we are setting up in-house to design custom buildings for our clients that need these buildings, and are working on several green building projects in several countries around the world. All of the above mentioned gives us a competitive edge and separate us from our competition. Christi: On your website, you have a great distributor page. What do you look for in a distributor? How can a business or individual approach you for that opportunity? Emma: We look for a person who is very interested in the industry, and you must be in that market sector to draw the type of clients that need our products. A person or company who has experience in construction and sales is the ideal dealer for us. Most of our distributors have this type of background and are very successful with us. All of our distributors go through a rigorous selection process with the first the step being to complete the International Distributor Request online form on our website. Christi: What benefits will your distributors receive by working with SteelMaster? Emma: At SteelMaster Buildings, we take pride in our partnerships and working with our distributors. The company has been around for 30 years, and we’re serious about what we do. We believe in building good relationships with our distributors. Our distributors receive very competitive pricing from us Emma Granada, International Business Development Manager of SteelMaster Buildings. Compliments of Emma Granada. Photo Credit -Commercial steel building. Photo by SteelMaster Buildings. so that they can be competitive in their country, as well as technical support from us and the support and treatment to be successful in their venture with SteelMaster Buildings in their country. Christi: What is your advice to businesses that want to export and find global partners or distributors? Emma: It is essential to know where to start and once you know that, then commit fully to expanding your business abroad. A great place to begin is to reach out to your state and federal government agencies. They will have the programs and market research to help you find out which nations are best suited for your company, tariffs, trade compliance, and other information that you must have to begin exporting. You must be able to choose the right distribution channels in the nations of interest, and find distributors who are local to your export destinations. These local distributors will help you with creating appropriate marketing to your consumers in that region. Also, make good use of social media and photo sharing sites when communicating with your distributors. It is important to be able to adapt culturally to the country that you are working with and to be able to understand their culture, customs and the way that they do business. Consider doing cultural training within your company. We have conducted cultural training here for our sales representatives, which has helped our employees relate to our clients and distributors better. We had a wonderful experience with a major construction company from Algeria that we are providing our structures for aircraft hangars. This country is a country with a strong Muslim population. Representatives from this company visited SteelMaster Buildings, and while we were hosting them, we provided a lunch based on the food that is connected to their cultural background and faith. Our guests were very pleased, and thoroughly enjoyed the lunch and hospitality. Editor’s Notes: When you work with international consumers and partners, having respect and appreciation for their culture goes a long way. Let that assist you in developing your international marketing plan. For more information on SteelMaster Buildings and be considered as a potential distributor visit: SteelMaster Buildings http://www.steelmasterusa.com/ GET BEACH BODY FABULOUS with FIT AND FAB Photo Credits Female swimsuit model by Piotr Bizior www.bizior.com. View of Man with Water Drops by Cheri Wren www.sxc.hu/profile/busywear. Fit and Fab makes getting that beach body shape fun and affordable. From low-carb recipe books to live healthy cooking webinars, we provide both inexpensive and high end experiences to meet your specific healthy eating needs and desires. See our website at www.fitfablife.weebly.com for more information. Photo Credits Legs in the Pool by Matthew Bowden www.matthewbowden.com. REKLUSE REVOLUTIONIZING MOTORCYCLE RACING Boise, Idaho Photo Credits Above Right: Photo of Al Youngwerth compliments of Rekluse. Main Photo: Pro-racer photo of rider Lance Vincent,#55, on the orange KTM is Rider of Munn Racing KTM/Ankle Savers. Photo by Guy B. REVOLUTIONIZING MOTORCYCLE RACING Motorcycle racing is one of the most exciting and blood-boiling sports around. Forget football or basketball, motorcycle racing is for the thrill seeker who happens to like having the heart jump out of his (her) chest and still throbbing! It’s pure adrenaline! Whether its witnessing the racer charging the offroad terrain and jumps in the Motocross or its indoor version Supercross, or the timed Enduro competition that often includes racing through forestry; motorcycle racing has become a passion for adventure seekers and spectators worldwide who want a lot more “punch” in their sports enjoyment. The United States is well known for racing sports, namely with Nascar, however, one company in Idaho has revolutionized the motorcycle sports industry with a special product that is demand worldwide by both amateur and professional motorcycle sport racers. This company has become a true success story as a USA small business exporting its products abroad and building a global consumer base who are salivating over this new product. Boise, Idaho-based Rekluse is the motorcycle industry leader in clutch performance technology and innovation. It is the home to a newly designed auto-clutch that is capturing the attention of some of the top pro-rider names in motorcycle sports and the media. Designed by Rekluse Founder Al Youngwerth, the Rekluse clutch has taken the sport to a whole new level. Major publications such as Dirt Rider Magazine named the Rekluse clutch as the “Product of the Decade”. Motorcross Action and Dirt Bike Magazine have also given the clutch rave reviews, including 5 stars. Famous pro-riders like the late *Mika Ahola, who was one of the world’s top enduro racers with 5 consecutive world championships since 2007 and *Ryan Sypes, who won the Dave Coombs Sr. East/ West Shootout in Vegas and won the 2012 Seattle SX Lites West Match have used the Rekluse clutch for their racing motorcycles. In fact, the new Rekluse Core EXP auto clutch is invading the adrenalinepacked Supercross competitions showing up on the bikes of pro-riders Matt Lemoine and Lance Vincent. The performance advantages of this clutch that has captured the attention of amateur and proriders alike are “faster corners, lower lap times, and better starts”. To see what it can do in full color, view this Kawasaki performance video featuring the clutch in action: http://www.rekluse.com/ performance.shtml Al Youngwerth founded Rekluse in 2002 after years of nurturing his passion for motorcycle racing. Ever since he saw the motorcycle racing documentary “On Any Sunday” when he was a kid, he was hooked to the sport. Years later, he created this new clutch and tackled the world of exporting, which is helping Rekluse become a great “Made in the USA” success story. Named “National Exporter of the Year” by the Small Business Administration, Youngwerth was recently a panel member for the National Small Business Week Conference held in our nation’s capital last May. The Rekluse experience as both a small business and top exporter serves as an inspiration to all small businesses looking to grow their consumer base internationally. In our Editorʼs interview with Mr. Youngwerth, he shared how “necessity” drove him to develop this new clutch, how it is changing the performance of today’s racing motorcycles, the new Core EXP clutch that is penetrating the pro-rider demographic, and his strategy and success for exporting the Rekluse products abroad. Photo Credit -Above Right: Pro-racer photo of rider Lance Vincent,#55, on the orange KTM is Rider of Munn Racing KTM/Ankle Savers. Photo by Guy B. 1. Source: Motorcycle USA . 2. Source: http://espn.go.com/action/fmx/story/_/id/-/andrew-short-ryan-sipes-win-amasupercross-race-seattle-wash) Christi: The Rekluse clutch has made its way in motocross, supercross, and enduro racing; which motorcycle sport category would you say the Rekluse benefits the most? Al: The Off Road category. The biggest benefit is towards the off road racing. It especially benefits less experienced drivers, since our clutch helps them increase to confidence in their performance. Christi: Speaking of the benefits that the Rekluse clutch offers to riders, the Kawasaki performance video featured on your company’s website includes two young riders who talked about how your clutch provides strong stability to their motorcycles, even when they make mistakes. For those of us who are not very familiar with motorcycle racing, what are these mistakes that the riders are talking about? How does this clutch help or protect them? Al: The clutch prevents the motorcycle from stalling, or not accelerating as quickly, so that the rider can continue racing. A rider may make a mistake while handling the bike during a race, which causes the engine to stall. So, the clutch “smoothes” that out by preventing the stalling. Think of the clutch as a “stick shift” in a car, and you are having to change gears. Each time you change the gear, your car stalls (or make that slight jerk motion). With the rider, that shifting can cause the bike to make a similar motion and it can make the bike hesitate, slip, or even tip over while racing. The Rekluse clutch does a great job in making that transition shift “smoother” and less likely to interfere with the racing. Christi: Along with the auto-clutch, you also have the “manual clutch lever override capability”. Please tell us what is the benefit of this feature? Al: Often professional riders want and need to use the override to manually control the bike, to have more power in their hands to control it. Our Core EXP provides a major upgraded performance of the automatic clutch disengagement and reengagement, which appeals to professional riders. Christi: Tell us more about the Core EXP, and the difference between that and the Rekluse z-Start Pro? generally do the same thing, but with different technology. The z-Start Pro is an older clutch that we introduced in 2005, and it is used by more of the inexperienced riders. The Core EXP clutch is a highly upgraded clutch product that appeals to the professional racer. Exporting: Christi: Rekluse is catching the attention of the motorcycle sports industry worldwide, and your clutch is becoming an “in demand” product. Which countries have you seen the most demand? Al: Currently, we are experiencing a great demand from Canada, plus Sweden and Italy. We are also going for the New Zealand market, which has a strong motorcycle market, but are under served by our product. Christi: During the National Small Business Week, you participated in the panel “Export Forum: Take Your Business Global”. What were some of the major points you made on small businesses who want to export their products? What can small businesses learn from your experience? Al: It was important that we told the audience at the this event our story and our experience being a small business that decided to export. We had distributors actually finding and coming to us, but we had to make sure that we partnered with distributors who were the best fit for Rekluse, not just those who were the most enthusiastic. One thing that shocked me was how few small businesses exported their products. Less than 1% of them export their products, which is astonishingly low. Christi: What advice would you give small businesses who want to export and find the right distributors? Al: My advice is to give it a try, but start small. Find a country where you believe your products will have a major appeal and locate distributors in that area. Look for reputable shipping companies who you want to work closely with. -GC Style Quarterly Al: The Rekluse z-Start Pro and the Core EXP *Notes: Wikipedia: Mika Ahola was a Finnish enduro rider and a five-time world champion. He was also a seven-time winner of the International Six Days Enduro World Trophy with Team Finland, and was the fastest overall in the competition in 1999, 2001 and 2002. Ahola passed away January 15, 2012 as a result of injuries sustained in a training accident. IN THEATERS NOW! GC STYLE QUARTERLY IS LOOKING FOR ... GUEST CONTRIBUTING WRITERS (COMPENSATION) GUEST CONTRIBUTING WRITERS We are looking for passionate, fun, and intriguing guest writers to contribute articles to GC Style Quarterly. 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CONNECT WITH US Merri Christi Pemberton, GC Style Quarterly Editor and Founder of Global Crest Productions- GC Style Quarterly: www.gcrestproductions.com/gc-style-quarterly-magazine1.html Global Crest Productions Home Page: www.gcrestproductions.com Skype: Gcrest32 Facebook: www.facebook.com/christi.pemberton Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/pmerric Where Global Business Meets High Style & Fine Living