Walker vs Barrett? Wisconsin Business Owners unleash The Hounds

on the Hunt on the Tundra

Wisconsin Teachers have a dog in the hunt; the other  unions do too. . .

But as the focus has shifted from collective bargaining and union issues to JOBS and the economy, Wisconsin Business Owners have finally weighed in on it all and, unleashed their own hound.

The Nicolet Bank Business Pulse^© is a quarterly study of Business Owners and CEOs.  We asked them whether a Walker win - or a Barrett win - would have a greater impact on their business going forward.

Nicolet discovered: 74% of Wisconsin Business Owners believe the outcome of the recall will have a Significant (51%) or a Moderate (23%) impact on their business. One-in-Ten said, a Slight impact; 14% said, No impact. (Goods producing CEOs believe the recall will have a greater impact on their business than do their service producing brethern.)

Business Owners and CEOs were asked to describe how a Walker win would impact their business. Nine-in-Ten (91%) said Walker would have a much more positive impact. One CEO summed it up saying::

"Less uncertainty about taxes; more confidence; better fiscal management and a positive economic outlook."

POSITIVE themes in open-ended comments regarding a Walker win:

 - Reduces uncertainty about the future

 - Expenditures and taxes will go down

 - Wisconsin’s business climate will improve

 - Reduces governmental interference in business

 - Businesses will hire and invest in their business

NEGATIVE themes (9%) regarding a Walker win:

 - Negative political climate has damaged the image of the state

 - Nothing has been done to help small business

 - Education will suffer; won’t produce educated worker force


A small, teeny-tiny percent (7%) see positive impacts from a Barrett win. One CEO wrote, “It is possible (though not assured) that the message learned will be that arrogance and divisiveness are ill-suited for problem-solving, and that the result will be reconciliation, with more collaboration from both sides. Such a climate of reconciliation and a renewed focus of problem-solving would create opportunities for entrepreneurship and support the startup community.” Really?

POSITIVE themes (7%) in open-ended comments re: Barrett wins:

 - Support for education for a high tech society will increase

 - Return to responsible leadership and collaboration

 - Improve the image of the state

NEGATIVE themes (93%) regarding a Barrett victory:

 - Return to big government, increased expenditures and taxes

 - Return to the past and the reforms we have made will be lost

 - Business climate will worsen; few will come; some will leave

 - Business will hold tight on any aggressive growth

OUCH!


Questions to Dr. David G. Wegge: 920.217.7738

The Nicolet Bank Business Pulse^© is a Quarterly Study of CEOs and business leaders in the NewNorth Wisconsin (Brown, Calumet, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Winnebago Counties) and Menominee, Michigan. It is designed and implemented by IntellectualMarketing, LLC.  This survey was conducted May 10 - 17, 2012 with 165 CEOs in the NewNorth.  Participants include: 28% in manufacturing; 25% in services; 19% retail trade; 5% wholesale trade; 6% finance, real estate, insurance; 6% in transportation, communications, utilities; 6% in construction; 6% in other industries.  24% have fewer than 6 employees; 29% have 6-25; 10% have 26-50; 10% 51-100; 16% 101-250; 4% 251-500; 3% have 501 to 1,000 and 3% have more than 1,000 employees.

Disruption: The Rage

Up on the Tundra, we don’t wander too far off the beaten path. Get "Outside the Box" and wham, you're Wolf Bait!

ASIDE:
American Werewolf in London - when the boys leave The Slaughtered Lamb Bar and wander off into the moors - is an accurate depiction of life on the Tundra when the wanderlust in us takes us outside the box. (Director John Landis also produced Animal House & Blues Brothers – which also feature fairly accurate depictions of life on the Tundra…I’ll bet Landis is a Packer fan, too.) END ASIDE!

A few years ago Hari Nair - friend and former Frozen Tundran who' now "polar opposite" (he lives on the Equator in Trivandrum India) told me that Disruptive Innovation is all The Rage. The oxymoronic phrase was coined by Hari's mentor, Clayton Christensen:

"An innovation that’s disruptive allows a whole new population access to a product or service that was historically accessible only to those with a lot of money."

Hari said business owners must to step outside the box and off the beaten path because it's too easy for the Wolf to eat your lunch. To survive, we must embrace a disruptive mindset so, we’re gonna shake it up up here on the Tundra!

On April 1st, Nicolet National Bank of Green Bay will disrupt The Business Research Model that, historically, is only accessible to business owners with a lot of money! Business research is awfully expensive for the average business owner.

DISRUPTION #1: It’s FREE! Nicolet Bank will gather - and share - its data w/anyone who participates! (Is that Disruptive enough to be innovative? I better ask Hari.) (Better yet, I should visit in person in Trivandrum! I could use some color and, I look fat(ter) on Skype.)

DISRUPTION #2: Free information isn’t worth a dime, but THIS stuff will have value because we’re building a representative panel of CEOs, Business Owners and Entrepreneurs across Wisconsin. Not only will our information be quantifiable, it'll be interesting, topical, utilitarian...even fun sometimes. Best of all, it'll be about Wisconsin Business and the unique issues and challenges WE face up here on the Tundra.

Our info probably won't change the way people run their business day-to-day, but the information will be a "touchpoint" for CEOs, Business Owners and Entrepreneurs; it'll show trend data and provide comparisons; it may encourage further research; it may even launch a new idea, or two. It's a way to live on the edge without stepping totally outside the box. THAT's, innovative!

DISRUPTION #3: Just 5 or 6 minutes per quarter is the only disruption we ask of your busy, busy day. You share a few minutes and we'll share what find = Quid pro quo, but FIRST, you must register: http://stnorbert.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5q1oWxytxh7j55O

It only takes 30 seconds to register.

DISRUPTION #4: We're not going to bombard you with sales pitches just because you gave us your email. We don't consider your email an open invitation to try to sell you something. We've been doing this for 12 years and have never betrayed that trust.

AND, in 12 years, we've never sold our data base - or 'traded' it for something else. We won't start now.

Consider joining our Disruptive Band of Badgers: http://stnorbert.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5q1oWxytxh7j55O

The wolf is at our doorstep...

HIGHLY recommended

Recommended by: The Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce and the CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., had nice words.

The Executive Director of the New North did too.

In 12 years, we've received many recommendations and endorsements. The best came from a self-evaluation we did a few years ago: 25% of CEOs & Business Owners said our business information was, Very Useful.

46% said it was Moderately Useful and, 26% said Somewhat Useful. (It probably depended on the subject matter, but those numbers are all pretty good if you ask me - only 3% of our sample said our info was Not Useful).

Overall, The Business Pulse is considered, "Excellent" = by 13% of our sample; 58% said it was Very Good; 24% said Good and, 6% said it was Fair. (Coming from hard-charging, cigar-chomping, bottom-line driven CEOs, I'd say Fair is a fairly decent endorsement...wouldn't you?)

93% said they'd recommend The Business Pulse to fellow CEOs & Business Owners; 46% of them actually DID!

THIS, I loved: If The Business Pulse was not free, how much would pay for it?

42% said they'd pay nothing (cheapasses), but 29% said it was worth $5 a month; 18% said $1o; 9% said $20 and, 2% said it was worth MORE than $20@ month! (Thanks, Dad!) I gotta find that 2%...they'd be great co-sponsors as The Business Pulse expands across Wisconsin!

Glowing recommendations also come from The MEDIA. We have letters and emails from Business Publications, Trade Journals, editors, reporters, publishers...

My personal recommendations on Linked in don't matter much...some of those people were highly compensated for their words:
'Mo adjectives; 'Mo money.

WORD of Mouth is a wonderful thing: 'Word Up, People!

REGISTER to be a part of it...
We're fairly confident you'll like it.

FROM THE WISCONSIN SECRETARY OF COMMERCE & WEDC CEO

For 12 years, The Nicolet Bank Business Pulse© has been gathering business information from CEOs, business owners and entrepreneurs throughout Northeastern Wisconsin.

The Business Pulse has researched just about every issue CEOs talk about: health care, benefits, compensation, taxes, regulation and politics. In addition, CEO Confidence is measured and tracked every quarter - and projected three months forward. As former Mayor of Green Bay, I found this business information extremely valuable.

As part of Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s continuing effort to put resources into your hands, I’m inviting you to be part of this valuable source of business information by starting to participate in the statewide survey. Nicolet National Bank has agreed to begin collecting data from business owners across Wisconsin and sharing the data with you.

Click the following link to privately register for this survey: http://stnorbert.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5q1oWxytxh7j55O.

You will then receive a questionnaire by e-mail each quarter. It will only take minutes to complete. As soon as all surveys are received and analyzed, you will receive an Executive Summary of the results by email. This is data you can share with your staff, advisors, investors, legislators, customers…anyone in your circle.

I also invite you to forward the survey registration link to fellow business owners in order to get as much regional input as possible to make this survey more valuable to you. I’m hopeful you’ll help us with valuable data collection and reporting effort. I am confident you will find this survey and reports useful.

Thank you for your consideration to participate.
Cooperatively,

PAUL JADIN
CEO/Secretary, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

PS: Your information will remain confidential.
Nicolet Bank will not be contacting you with any product or service offers.

Absolutely Free?

"Oh YES!" Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., (WEDC) gave us its blessing to gather business info from Business Owners, CEOs, GMs and Entrepreneurs throughout WiSCONSIN...

'Wi will: 1.) Gather quarterly business info from Wi Biz Owners;
2.) Analyze the data and; 3.) Share it with you!

Oh Yes it's FREE! FREE info about issues important to you, and your fellow CEOs. (Not just YES, HELLYES!)

FULL DISCLOSURE:
The data we share is indeed FREE, but here's the Catch: YOU first.
YOU answer a short questionnaire at the end of each Quarter - just 6 minutes of your time - and we'll share the results:
Quid Pro Quo / Win Win Win.

BONUS: NO Sales Pitches AND, the info you share is Confidential.

We've been doing this w/CEOs for 50 consecutive quarters. In 12 years, we've developed an outstanding reputation and unearthed a LOT of interesting, proprietary, actionable business data -
stuff you can't get anywhere else for free!

To provide quantifiable info, we need a representative sample of Wisconsin Business Owners, CEOs & Entrepreneurs (this means YOU). Without YOU, 'Wi will not move Forward.

REGISTER HERE/LINK NOW! (It takes 30 seconds to register.)

1.) Register today; help us build a credible sample of CEOs;

2.) PLEASE, consider sharing this link with a fellow CEO in Wi.
'Wi need YOU;

3.) Thank YOU.

PS: This is about Wisconsin Business/for Wisconsin Business!
It's good for you and, absolutely free: Win/Win.

Monday Morning QB: Aaron Rodgers' Passing DIDN'T matter; Michael Philbin's did...

Aaron Rodgers' passing didn't cost the Packers the game.
I'm not a player; just a pretty good Monday Morning Quarterback. I've spent a fair amount of time coaching boys and young men but, I'm no Knute Rockne.

As a coach, I could tell when my guys were ON - and not ON. I had a strong sense this week that - no matter who the Packers played on Sunday - they were NOT going to be ON. The Little Sisters of the Poor would have beaten the snot out of them.

When preparing for the game, it was clear to me that Aaron Rodgers' passing would not be a factor at all - Eli's, either. . . Michael Philbin's passing would.

The Packers are a tight team. The players; the coaches; the management = I may be wrong, but when word of Michael Philbin's passing came to light in the locker room, the lights went out on Lambeau; the air went out of our football. The Game was OVER a week before it was played.

You could see it in the news conferences all week - and we watched it play out on the field. Coaches always yell, "You play how you practice," and the Packers' hearts weren't in it. Football is an emotional game and, emotion ruled. Emotion won - again -
on Sunday.

Coach McCarthy said the team had contingency plans to deal with the loss of their teammate but, really? Coach McCarthy could have brought back Lambeau, Lombardi - even Lindy Infante for crying out loud - but no contingency could fill the hole left by
Michael's Passing.

You can try to put on a happy face but, you can't out coach it; you can't out play it; you can't out-emote it. Athletes and coaches don't say "can't" but, it can show up on the field. When it does,
you can't control it.

I think The Packer Family will struggle with this for a long time. Just the look on Mike McCarthy's face during his news conferences this week or, when he was on the field on Sunday = You could see it in his eyes; his body language. As a father, you could clearly see that: Mike just wasn't that into it. As hard as he tried to do his job, he didn't have a plan for Michael Philbin's passing.

We've lost 5 babies to miscarriage. Painful...still. But my son?

Years ago, a co-worker lost his 6 year old - the little fella just dropped over at his little desk in school one day (genetic heart problem). I never was a big "fan" of this particular associate/teammate, but at the funeral I was crying harder than he. I wasn't even a father back then but, I could feel his pain.
I'm sure I offered very little comfort.

He moved his family away from Green Bay a few years ago; I see him occasionally. I still don't know what to say. His son would be 30 something. I know what he's still feeling.

Michael Philbin's passing is a big loss for his family. It's a giant loss for The Green Bay Packers. It's a loss for the greater Green Bay Community: fans, families and foes alike.

I wish there was something I could do for the Philbins; I'm guessing they're wishing the same. I guess I'll just emote a bit on my blog. If someone happens to reads this beyond my circle of readers, consider this a digital hug to the Philbins (maybe we can do a digital Group Hug). If it helps the Philbins to know,
I'm crying with you, too.

Michael, you had a big impact on a lot of people around here. Amen.

NYTimes: Green Bay fans "Classiest?"

HOLY COW! No one's ever called us 'classy' before. Cheesy maybe, but Classy!?

The New York Times said it? WOW! The cow DID jump over the moon!

The old Grey Lady must have fallen off her rocker. 'She couldn't find Green Bay even if the playoffs were being played at New York's New Home in New Jersey.

The closest she'd EVER come to Green Bay might be Greenwich Village or maybe, Greenwich CT. To the New York Times, Green Bay is as fictional as Forrest Gump's "greenbowalaBAMA!"

The Times must be trolling for subscriptions in the Heartland or, maybe they're actually on to something! Compared to New York; compared to the rest of the league, Green Bay fans ARE a class act! We're friendly; we open doors for strangers; we say, Thank You.

It's a Pulitizer Prize-type story is in the works...

I hope Jayson Blair doesn't get assigned the follow-up story. He - definitely - would visit Fictional Greenbow instead of Green Bay!

Maureen Dowd would be a good writer to follow up. Unlike a lotta NYTimes reporters, she already knows a lot about Wisconsin!
"The home of brats and beer bellies," she wrote a while back. Maureen sounds like a Homer; a Yooper; a CheeseHead! She's up on all the cuisine and recreational opportunities around here. She wouldn't have to make it up like Jayson would.

Paul Krugman might be a good. He can spell Wisconsin, but his geography gets a little fuzzy west of the Hudson River. Last February he wrote, "Here’s a thought: maybe Madison, Wis., isn’t Cairo after all. Maybe it’s Baghdad?"

Hmmm...Maybe we don't want Krugman. He probably thinks Green Bay IS Green Bow - or Madison is anyway! He'd never find us!

Regardless of who the media sends, there will be a LOT of New Yorkers in Green Bay this weekend! To keep up our classy image, we'll probably have to get out the good silver! (At $30 an ounce, we might rethink that strategy...in a New York Minute the dish, the forks, the knives, the little sterling napkin holders will all "run away" with the spoons.)

Maybe, we'll go OUT for fish! Maybe, some brats on the grill - especially if Maureen is coming!

AND, we'll definitely have to cut the Good Cheese! (And only a true, classy cheesehead knows what cutting the cheese means!)

OPEN INVITATION to any New York Times reporter:
If you need a fairly-classy place to stay with some Classy Peeps in Green Bay, you can stay at our house. We'll show you a great time! (If Krugman shows up, we'll show him where Madison is!)

We'll party 'till the cows come home!