Topeka contractor temporarily banned from doing business in Kansas

A Topeka contractor has been temporarily banned from doing business in Kansas, according to information released Wednesday by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office.

Shawnee County District Judge Larry D. Hendricks issued a restraining order earlier this month against John Shively, doing business as J&R Remodeling and J&S Construction, temporarily banning him from doing business in Kansas as a roofing contractor.

Schmidt said Shively violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act and Kansas Roofing Registration Act in that he allegedly “contracted and received payment from a consumer for roofing services that were never performed. The defendant also failed to register as a roofing contractor as required by the Kansas Roofing Registration Act, or KRRA.”

In Wednesday’s statement, Schmidt announced he has entered into consent judgments with seven other roofing contractors, including two in Shawnee County, for KRRA violations. The companies are required to pay civil penalties, restitution in some cases and are required to comply with the KRRA when providing roofing services in the future. The seven roofing contractors fined are:

• Mike Rose Construction LLC, fined in Shawnee County District Court.
• Rooftop Construction LLC, in Shawnee County District Court.
• Griffin Roofing LLC, in Doniphan County District Court.
• FA Construction LLC, in Cherokee County District Court.
• Mike’s General Contracting LLC, in Mitchell County District Court.
• Arturo Acosta, in Meade County District Court.

James Reynolds, doing business as JR Roofing and Repairs, in Greenwood County District Court.

In each case, Schmidt alleged the contractors “engaged in advertising, soliciting or performing roofing contractor services in Kansas without registering with the attorney general’s office as required by the KRRA.”

With the onset of spring and the construction season, Schmidt reminded Kansans to make sure roofing contractors are registered before signing any contract or having any work done on their homes.

“Consumers should request a copy of their roofer’s registration certificate and then should check the attorney general’s consumer protection website at www.InYourCornerKansas.org to confirm that the roofer’s registration is in good standing,” according to the release.

How to Find the Best Investors for Your Small Business

Big ideas can only take your business so far. When a contractor asks for a first installment, or your first big payroll is due, you have to show them the money—fast. At times like these, an entrepreneur must turn to investors to keep his or her company moving forward. Here are some tips on how to find the best investors for your small business.

Your inner circle

Why go hunting for funds when you already have potential business partners saved in your contacts? There are several advantages to turning to your friends and family members for a small business loan or business partnership. The terms involved in these scenarios are often more favorable than those that any lender might offer. Additionally, the approval process tends to be much simpler when your inner circle is involved.

Still, there are drawbacks to working with your friends and family members. Think of the strain a business partnership might have on a relationship that already has its stress points. If your business struggles down the line and you need more time to pay off loans, your actions could lead to the end of a friendship or a slew of uncomfortable moments during the holidays. Sometimes, the money is not worth the potential stress and complications.

Angel investor

First-time solopreneurs sometimes need the help of a seasoned pro to get a company going. That is where an angel investor comes in. In exchange for a 20–25% stake in your business, angels provide the money you need to keep an operation alive or expand your reach into new territories. Besides cold, hard cash, they also bring years of experience to the table.

Viewers of Shark Tank are familiar with how this principle works. You first have to convince a wealthy business professional that your company can expand his or her portfolio. This process involves extended discussions between your team and the angel's representatives. When the terms are fair, both sides win—and you end up with an excellent mentor in the bargain.

Venture capital

While angel investors are often the answer for businesses that are struggling to take the next big step, venture capital firms tend to take an interest in more established brands. These investors usually have minimum revenue requirements and want the ability to influence what your company does next. They also have an exit strategy, which enables them to break ties with your business in less than five years.

Small business owners should have an exit strategy of their own when turning to venture capital firms for help. Anything can happen in a few years that can negatively impact your operation, including economic downturn or a change in industry regulations. Financiers without an emotional investment in your business will have no trouble selling a stake to cut losses.

Alternative financing

One of the newest trends in business financing is the alternative lending industry. Entrepreneurs no longer have to wait for loan approval from a bank or worry if their credit is good enough. Online lenders may approve a small business loan in a matter of hours and do so without a lengthy application process. On the flip side, entrepreneurs need a clear exit strategy.

You cannot take on a bridge loan without knowing exactly when your next revenue infusion is coming. Penalties may be severe. Other alternative funding methods such as crowdsourcing and presale offers may also appeal to small business owners. Overall, it is crucial that you deliver on the promises you make in a timely fashion, because failing to do so could hurt your brand's credibility in the long run.

Every new business needs investors in order to take the next step and hit the ground running. For more small business financial insight, check out the Small Business Financial Services center.

8 Great Tips for Success in Both Life and Business

1. Add Value

No matter what you do and where you go, you can’t go wrong with adding value. Simply put value is anything that people are willing to pay for. In your professional life, the more value you can offer the more money you can make. In your personal life, more value translates to closer relationships and strong personal growth. The best way to add value is to find the intersection between what people are willing to pay for and what service or product you can offer that is aligned with your values, strengths and goals.

2. Follow Your Passion

Reading numerous biographies on great people and from my own personal observations and encounters, I’ve realized that those who achieve greatness professional and personally follow their passion. The reason why great people are few and far in-between is because most people don’t even know what their passion is. For those that do figure out their passion, most of them don’t follow their passion consistently. This is one of the main reasons why people don’t reach their goals.

3. Be Extraordinary

If you do the same thing as everyone else, it’s hard to be successful. It is important to find the edge and then push past it. That is how you become noticed and get what you want. Whether it is money, meaningful relationships and/or a sense of personal accomplishment, the extraordinary person attracts them all.

4. Start Now

There are many factors that go into become a success in both your professional and personal life but the one factor that is required is taking action. Most people miss out on reaching their full potential because they never start. They are always preparing, planning and waiting for the best time to start. If I waited until I was ready, I would not have a coaching practice, a website, a blog, a workshop, etc. The stars rarely align and you will never be completely ready so just start now and adjust along the way.

5. Hunt for Good Mentors

People who “make it” usually credit their success to a mentor or a group of mentors who really helped guide them to get to where they are. Mentors have gone down the road that you want to travel and can guide you to get to your destination faster than if you went at it alone. If you want to be healthy, you would find a mentor who is already healthy. If you want to be rich, then you have to find someone who is already rich. What surprises me is how rarely people engage in mentoring relationships and those who do usually find mentors in only one aspect of their lives. If you want to be successful, be active about finding mentors that will help you achieve what you want. Jeff Goins has a nice short article on finding mentors.

6. Build a Support Group

While mentors serve as a guide with whom you review your past actions and plan your next steps, a support group are your companions that help you with during the actual execution of your plan. This may be in the form of a mastermind group or accountability partner where you keep each other accountable for your goals and to help each other deal with situations that may arise while you are on your journeys. It is extremely helpful to have someone you know that is willing to listen to your frustrations and self doubt and to encourage you and remind you of how far you’ve already come.

7. Personally Know Your Finances

Numbers scare a lot of people. Start talking about assets, liabilities and net worth and people’s eyes just glaze over. If you are one of these people who run away from numbers, please stop running because you are hurting yourself. If you want to be financially independent, you need to know how to keep score. If you have your own business or want to successfully invest, finances tell you how well you are doing and reveal the health of a business. If you don’t understand finances, you have to learn. It’s easy once you get over the limiting belief that you are no good at numbers.

8. Be Resilient

Things rarely work out the way you planned and there will always be distractions and stumbling blocks that you have to deal with when you are on your road to success. The key point to remember is to persist and to develop the courage to move on even when everyone around you is telling you it is ok to give up. This does not mean stubbornly holding on to your original plan but rather continuing to pursue your goal as long as the reasons for doing so is still valid (Make sure you know the “Why” of what you want). When everything seems to be going wrong, keep in mind that “the road to success is paved with a thousand failures” so each failure actually brings you closer to where you want to be.

How a Presidential Shift Can Affect Your Small Business in Surprising Ways

Election season can be a time of great uncertainty. While the different sides duke it out and you do your best to remain neutral in the workplace, you have to keep running your small business like you would during any other season. Now that the results are in, it is time to explore how new policies could affect operations and your short-term outlook. Here are five ways that a presidential shift can affect your business.

1. General relief that the election is over

While some people around the country may be disappointed by the election results, many agree that they are glad the campaign is finally over. Election seasons are longer than ever these days, and the tone of the coverage this year veered to the negative more often that most people would have liked. As such, now that the election is over, there is bound to be some level of relief among your customers, employees, and partners. These types of shift in mood can impact your sales and day-to-day business interactions.

2. Stock market rallies

If you are a major investor, any fluctuations in the stock market can have a sizable impact on your daily life. Furthermore, it is important to remember that some customers use news surrounding the stock market to impact their purchasing decisions. When a new president is elected, the United States stock market tends to fluctuate in response. As a small business owner, you should seize any opportunity to move your inventory when you see a rise in consumer confidence. After all, it may only take a few new customers to transform the direction of your business.

3. Potential loan opportunities

With shifts in the stock market and unemployment levels, the new president will inherit a complex economy that is operating on many different levels. If you are a small business owner who is hoping to secure financing, these shifts may present you with a good opportunity. After all, you only need one confident investor to take your company to the next level.

4. Willingness to make a deal

No matter how you feel about the current political climate, you need to vow to make the best of the situation that comes with this presidential shift. As long as you follow the trends in your industry and are aware of changing regulations, you can continue with the business-as-normal approach. You may find that some entrepreneurs are now more willing than never to make a deal, as they have some sense of what the next four years will look like. You should consider this an opportunity to partner with other business owners and look for ways that both of your organizations could benefit. Be sure to play any hand that you are dealt.

5. Entrepreneurial spirit in employees

Seeing someone campaign hard and win the presidency against the odds can be inspiring for many American citizens. Even if employees do not feel like they have a realistic shot at the White House, they may be inspired to try out new things and take on more responsibility at work. You should encourage such ambition whenever you see it in the office. When someone on your staff seems willing and capable, delegate more tasks to him or her and see how he or she responds.

A presidential shift can mean different things to different people. As a small business owner, you should make an effort to keep your company on track during the transition period. In many ways, your employees many need you now more than ever. If you see a new opportunity in 2017, do not be afraid to jump on it.