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Sweet marketing music

Tanner Montague came to town from Seattle having never owned his own music venue before. He’s a musician himself, so he has a pretty good sense of good music, but he also wandered into a crowded music scene filled with concert venues large and small.But the owner of Green Room thinks he found a void in the market. It’s lacking, he says, in places serving between 200 and 500 people, a sweet spot he thinks could be a draw for both some national acts not quite big enough yet for arena gigs and local acts looking for a launching pad.“I felt that size would do well in the city to offer more options,” he says. “My goal was to A, bring another option for national acts but then, B, have a great spot for local bands to start.”Right or wrong, something seems to be working, he says. He’s got a full calendar of concerts booked out several months. How did he, as a newcomer to the market in an industry filled with competition, get the attention of the local concertgoer?

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by Beth Ewen
April 2003

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2-minute meeting

Calhoun Beach Club re-opens with swell thank-you party

By Beth Ewen

The line for valet parking was so long that police were shouting through megaphones to clear the street. The event was the Feb. 7 gala grand re-opening of the Calhoun Beach Club, the gorgeous 1920s-era spot on the north shore of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. After an 18-month, $32-million renovation that dragged on longer than planned, the club wanted to thank its members and show off its refurbished digs.

They did it in high style. There was the baron of beef bigger than many small countries, the pasta bar, the raw seafood bar, The Sevilles for dancing. And there were 1,200 of the club’s closest friends in a blowout that would have cost at least $125,000 if bought retail, according to General Manager Jodi Schoenauer. The club uses its own catering staff so costs were less, although she wasn’t saying how much less.

“I said, ‘there’s no skimping,’ ” Schoenauer said by phone a few days post-event. The biggest logistical hit was the stir-fry bar, where people could take food away in carryout boxes and find a spot to eat it.

The club didn’t charge for the tickets, but rather mailed invitations to 2,000 members, each of whom could bring a guest. They took the first 1,200 RSVPs and then stopped. There was a cash bar, but otherwise no charge — the idea was to thank people. A fourth of the guests were non-members, and although the club did not have a sales table at this event they will track whether new members learned of the club during the gala.

Schoenauer recommends two budget lines for every small business. “It’s tough to do, but I would always put in two line items: member/client/guest relations, whatever you call it, and philanthropy,” she said.

Try to make it to: The Calhoun Beach Club hosts membership and charitable events several times a year: 612.927.0500.

eWomenNetwork teaches speedy form of meet’n’greet

They promised “accelerated networking” at the Feb. 20 meeting of eWomenNetwork. That’s a daunting proposition for an old reporter like me, who uses the old-fashioned method: Ply people with booze for hours until they spill their story.

However, I plunged in. With about 70 or so women business-owners, corporate professionals and sales executives, I used the eWomenNetwork way. State your name, what you do, how you can help and what you need to move forward in the next 30 days. They do the same. Then you grab their business cards and switch tables.

“We like to take the work out of networking,” says Kim DeBlieck, managing director.

I was also the keynote speaker that day, talking about lessons I’ve learned from business owners profiled in Upsize Minnesota. Thanks, everyone who’s talked to us so far. Now hurry up and go meet some people.

Try to make it to: the group’s Women Business Exchange May 16, for which DeBlieck says she’s seeking corporate sponsors: 952.854.4154; www.eWomenNetwork.com

‘Uff da’ is bad sign when selling Minnesotan

“Minnesotans don’t communicate. They grunt.” So said Julie Olson of Encompass Group Inc. when opening her workshop on “Selling Minnesotan.”

OK, so they do other things, too, she and Sam Zordich of Stonegate Consulting continued. But Minnesotans are a tough group to sell to unless you know the code. The pair presented their talk to the Lake Minnetonka Area Chamber of Commerce Feb. 12.

Some tips: Minnesotans want to look smart and educated, and they want choices, Olson said. They will want to know that you’re committed to the community because they’re not going anywhere. They will not be impressed with chatty ice-breakers. Here’s more:

If they say “really?” they mean “give me the facts.”

If they say “that’s nice” they mean “give me a break.”

If they say “uff da,” said Zordich, “It’s over. Goodbye. Pack it up.”

Warning: Finding the Burl Oaks Golf Club in Minnetrista in the dark is not for amateurs.

Try to make it to: One of the Lake Minnetonka Area’s chamber meetings; contact Patsy Kiesow, executive director: 952.471.0768; chamber@lakeminnetonkachamber.com

Ways you pay affect tax bill, Rider Bennett attorney says

“If we didn’t have to pay taxes we could pay whatever we wanted as long as it was fair,” said Pat Shriver of Rider Bennett Egan & Arundel. Then there’s the real world, and he parsed the four types of business entities and the tax implications of different compensation methods under each.

Pay attention now. The late afternoon crowd of business owners at the Feb. 13 seminar did. A group of 20 or so fired questions at Shriver and his sidekick, tax attorney Joan Boddicker, as they tried to figure out new and old IRS rules. Minneapolis law firm Rider Bennett co-sponsors the series with MEDA, the Minneapolis non-profit that promotes the growth of minority-owned firms.

For S corps, shareholders have to pay tax on their pro rata share of the company. “And I’ve got to pay regardless if I got the money,” Shriver said. “That’s why most S corps will make a distribution equal to the tax payments due, and the corporation keeps the rest.”

As owner, you can save a little money if you shift some income to the dividend portion rather than the earned income portion. How low can you go on the salary part? “I’ve heard that the IRS is cracking down on that,” Shriver said. “As far as the magic number I couldn’t tell you.” It basically comes down to how much risk you want to take.

When it comes to partnerships, be careful if you want to reward employees. “Let’s say you want to provide an incentive.You say, let’s give them part of the business. You just made them a partner for tax purposes, and they’ve got to pay the self-employment taxes,” Shriver said. A better option may be stock options or phantom stock.

There was more, lots more, but you’re going to have to call your own tax attorney. At this point, the Informer went looking for a baron of beef.

Try to make it to: Rider Bennett and MEDA host information sessions all year long. Contact Tim Wagner of MEDA: 612.259.6576; twagner@meda.net; www.riderlaw.com