P R O F E S S I O N A L S...

I N S I D E T H I S

Distributor Jeopardy 2

OPPA Spring Learn

and Social Event 2

Wild Wednesday

Webinar

3

Support Your

Suppliers

5

Legislative Brief 6

B U S I N E S S N A M E

J A

OPPA

O H I O

P R O M O T I O N A L

P R O F E S S I O N A L S

A S S O C I A T I O N

Enhancing the image of Pro-

motional Product Advertising.

Providing education and striv-

ing for development of higher

standards from its members

and the Promotional Products

industry as a whole.

Providing opportunity for

suppliers, distributors, to

meet in the spirit of good will

and fellowship, for the pur-

pose of exchanging ideas lead-

ing to the benefit of our in-

dustry association and our

own business.

The Premier

Regional

Experience

A Table-top with the Impact of a

Super Regional Show!

SHOW HOURS: 8am - 9am - Professional Development

9am - 1pm - The TOM Experience 1pm - SAGE Product Training

Experience the wonderful benefits of attending the regional TOM show this month and see the NEW PRODUCTS and get

the NEW CATALOGS for the 2014 selling season.

Plus….Professional Development !

Plus... SAGE Training !

Plus...Money Savings Coupon Book !

Plus...Prizes !

Wednesday, January 22

The Aladdin Shrine 3850 Stelzer Rd.

Columbus, OH 43219

Thursday, January 23

The Holiday Inn 6001 Rockside Rd.

Independence, OH 44131

P A G E 2

11750 Berea Road Cleveland, OH 44111

Mark Your Calendars!

And plan on joining your peers...for the

OPPA SPRING LEARNING

AND SOCIAL EVENT!

Two Great Events on the same day!

SUPPLIER FACTORY TOUR

Time 3:30 to 4:30 pm

Then join us for

MARCH MADNESS BASKETBALL / CORN HOLE TOURNAMENT

Watch College Basketball’s March Madness Tournament on 26 HD Televisions while competing against your friends in Corn Hole. Partner up for this game of skill and have fun while you cheer on your favorite college basketball teams!

Time 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm Stampers Irish Pub (Private Room); 21750 Lorain Ave; Fairview Park, OH Cost is $20 PP Includes 2 drink tickets, full appetizers, free entry into tournament.

You don’t want to miss this fun evening with friends and fellow colleagues!

OPPA Board of Directors

President: and RAC Delegate Jeff Shaw, Shaw Print and Promotion

Email: [email protected] Vice President:

Marsha Brooks, Vantage Apparel Email: [email protected] Treasurer:

David Berland, LightHouse Branding & Merchandising Agency Email: [email protected]

Immediate Past President: Geoff Vejsicky, Ohio Valley Marketing Group

Email: [email protected] Trustee:

Michelle Stark Fulks, Stark and Associates Email: [email protected] Trustee:

Kurt McGovern, McGovern Marketing Email: [email protected]

Trustee: Dana Zezzo, , Jetline Email: [email protected]

Trustee:

Dale Limes, MAS, Halo Branded Solutions

Email: [email protected] Trustee:

Skip O’Kelley, Logomark Email: [email protected]

Executive Director: LaDonna Belcher

Email: [email protected]

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CEU: CAS 1

8am - 9am

DISTRIBUTOR JEOPARDY! With your host….Joel Schaffer, MAS Don’t put your business in jeopardy - face the issues before they face you. Distributor Jeopardy is a fun and crative way to tackle all the issues that affect a promotional prod-ucts business. Rather than listen to another panel of “experts”, attendees will have the chance to share first-hand information, solve problems and learn from one another. From money to consumer product safety, from supplier issues to importing, the session covers a lot of ground. If you watch Jeopardy! , you know how the session will go. Lucky participants can win a prize!

http://www.galaxyballoon.com/index.jsp

President’s Letter

P A G E 3 V O L U M E I I , I S S U E 1

Happy New Year!

I hope you agree, 2014 is going to be an exciting year. With the TOM Experience in January, The Big Show in May and PAB in September, new membership benefit introductions, web site revamp, golf outing , social events and an ongoing legislative action agenda, it’s also going to be a busy one for OPPA. No matter how much we improve our membership proposition, perhaps, the greatest value OPPA brings our membership is local connectivity…. bringing suppli-ers and distributors together on a local basis. “All politics is local” is a common political phrase coined by former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill. The concept is based on the understanding local and personal issues are what drive constituents’ votes. While nation-al issues and larger intangible ideas dominate the me-dia headlines and political debate, what matters most to the voters is what affects them in their own backyards.

I submit, the same principal can be applied to the promotional products industry. What hap-pens or can happen, at the lo-cal level has the greatest direct effect on both suppliers and dis-tributors. For suppliers, sales are driven by distributors located in local markets through-out the country. For distributors, the ideas, information and support from suppliers’ territory sales representa-tives give us the tools necessary to compete on a level playing field. For most of us, wouldn’t you agree, it’s the relationships developed and ability to service at the local level that creates the buying differential. That’s the conduit OPPA provides our membership to those who participate. Please join us for the fun and prosperity in 2014. Jeff

Jeff Shaw Shaw Print and

Promotion

Anoth

er

TO

M

EX

PER

IEN

CE!

Brought to you by: TSPPA OPPA MiPPA PPAChicago PPAW and UMAPP

JANUARY 29, 12:30pm EST….. 30 MINUTE FORMAT

Sign on at HTTP://WWW.ANYMEETING.COM/MIPPA

P A G E 5 V O L U M E I I , I S S U E 1

Choose these Suppliers for your 2014 Sales

The Companies that Support Regional Associations!

3M Promotional Markets A ADG Promotional Products..A4..AdamsAdidas..Adimages Drinkware..AKWA..A La Carte-

All-casion..The Allen Company..Alo..Alpha/Broder/NES..Alpine Fleece..American Accents.. Antigua Performance

Apparel ..Anvil.. API Line..Apogee Commemoratives and Awards..Apothecary Products..Ariel Premium Supply..

Arlington Keepsakes..Ash City..Atlantis..Augusta

B Badger..Bag Makers..Bandana Promotions..Bay Imprints..Bay State..Bayside Bellas..The Bentcil Co..Bermuda

Sands..Best Promotions USA..BIC..Bishop Custom Apparel..BizPins..Black and Decker..Blue Pointe..Bobble..Bodek

and Rhodes.. Bridge Marketing..Brightline..Brookstone..Buck..Bulova..Bushnell..

C C2 Sport..Calvin Klein..Cap America..Casual Image..Castle Merchandising..Champion..Charles River Apparel..

The Chest..Chocolate Inn/Taylor & Grant.. Code V..Coleman..Colortone..Compass Industries..Croakies

D Dard Products Inc..Deerfield Calendars &Greeting Cards..Devar..Dickies..District Sport Tek..Dmannding Results Inc

Dorcy SMD..Dunbrooke..Dyenomite

E E. Fritz Ford Associates..Eagle..Eddi Bauer..Edwards Garment..ETS Express/The Express Line..Evans Mfg..

Eversole Run..Everyday Life..Eysoldt Marketing Group

F Fairway & Green..FARO..FeatherLite..Fey Line..FINN Graphics..Flexfit..Flexible Innovations..Flying Colors Im-

printing..FPS..Fossa..Fruit of the Loom

G Galactic Balloon..Game Sportswear..Gemline..Gildan..Gill Studios Inc..Global Solutions..Goldstar..Good Value

Calendars..Gordon Sinclair..Great Lakes Incentive Group

H Hamilton Beach..Handstands..Hanes..Hartmann..Head to Toe..Heritage Sportswear/Virginia T's..Hilton..Hirsch

Gift..Hit Promotional Products..Hospitality Mints..Howard Miller Co..HPC Global..HTT..HUB Pen..Huffy

I Igloo..Illini..Indiana Metal Craft..Inner Harbor..Innovation Line..IZOD

J Jamerica..Jerzees..Jetline ..Jilco Jewel..Jim Dunn & Co..JMI..Joe Eberz & Associates..John Bell Associates..

Jonathan Corey

K Kariban..Karlen..KC Caps..K.C. Fields and Associates..KiddoPROMO..Kwik-Stik

L Lanco..Lamy..Landway Fleece..Larry Irvine Sales..LAT..Latico Leather..Leed's/Polyconcept/Trimark..Liberty Bags

M The Magnet Group..Marketing Motivators..Mega Cap..Mi-Line by Fey..Mid-Nite Snax..Moleskin

N New Balance..Next Level..Nike Golf..Norwood Promotional Products..Notes, Inc

O OGIO..Ohio Valley Marketing..Omaha Steaks..Outdoor Cap

P Paragon Sales..Payne Publishing..Pentel..Peerless Umbrellas..Perry Ellis International..Picnic Time..Picquic..

Pioneer Balloon Co..PJS, Inc..Port & Co..Port Authority..PPAI..Preferred Lines..The Premium Line..Preferred Nation..

Precision Laser Art..Prime Resources Corporation..Pro Towels Etc..ProLine..PVH (Izod/Van Heusen)

Q Quickpoint, Inc. R Rabbit Skins..Rainkist Umbrellas..Rawlings..Reebok..Reflectix by Fey..Richardson

Brands

S S & S Activewear..SAGE..SAMCO..Samsonite..SanMar..Saratoga Pen..Seiko..Shedrain..Skins Game..SnugZ

USA..Soffe..Sony..Soundline..Southern Plus..Spalding ..Spector & Co..Spectra..Sports Systems..Starline..Sumdex..

Sweda..Sweet Innovations

T ThermoServ..Thomas-James Associates..Toddy Gear-USA Made Products..Top Brands..TR Spoltman & Associ-

ates, Inc..Tranter Graphics..Trek..Tri-Mountain Apparel..Triumph Calendars..Tumi..Tyca

U Ultra Club V Van Heusen..Vantage Apparel..Vera Bradley..Visions Awards .. Vitronic..Promotional Products..

Vivitar..

W Warwick..Weatherproof..Webb Company..Windmill Planners..WOW Line

X XTRA Blanks Apparel

Z Zebra..Zipline..Zorrel

Legislative Brief by Dale Limes, MAS

This month I would like to address something all promotional marketing business owners should pay close attention to. The topic is proper classification of workers as independent contractors versus employees in your business, and understanding the consequences of not getting it right. Our government is starved for tax revenue more than ever before. As a result, your business may be subject to business audits which can cost you dearly if you don’t understand this very important part of U.S. tax law. Under United States law, a worker is an employee if the person for whom he or she works has the right to direct and control the way he or she works, both as to the final result and as to the details of when, where, how and in what sequence the work is to be done. One of the most common mistakes I have seen distributors make is offering a dedicated office space to an independent contractor. This is an obvious violation and is subject to serious penalties. The proper way to provide ICs with this option is to make a “common office space” available to ICs, or to charge them a reasona-ble rent for the space. If they have pictures on the wall or personal effects in the desk that indicate it is being used as a dedicated space, you may be setting yourself up for penalties. In the absence of laws that override the safe harbor provisions detailed in Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978, the IRS has adopted 20 rules to determine whether workers are employees: 1. Profit or loss. Can the worker make a profit or suffer a loss as a result of the work, aside from the money earned from the project? (This should involve real economic risk, not just the risk of not getting paid.)

2. Investment. Does the worker have an investment in the equipment and facilities used to do the work? (The greater the investment, the more likely they are to have independent contractor status.)

3. Works for more than one firm. Does the person work for more than one company at a time? (This tends to indicate independent contractor status but isn’t conclusive since employees can also work for more than one employer.)

4. Services offered to the general public. Does the worker offer services to the general public?

5. Instructions. Do you have the right to give the worker instructions about when, where and how to work? (This shows control over the worker.)

6. Training. Do you train the worker to do the job in a particular way? (Independent contractors are already trained.)

7. Integration. Are the worker’s services so important to your business that they have become a necessary part of the business? (This may show that the worker is subject to your control.)

8. Services rendered personally. Must the worker provide the services personally, as opposed to delegating tasks to someone else? (This indicates that you are interested in the methods employed, and not just the re-sults.)

9. Hiring assistants. Do you hire, supervise and pay the worker’s assistants? (Independent contractors hire and pay their own staff.)

10. Continuing relationship. Is there an ongoing relationship between the worker and yourself? (A relation-ship can be considered ongoing if services are performed frequently, but irregularly.)

Cont’d on back page

Legislative Brief cont’d

11. Work hours. Do you set the worker’s hours? (Independent contractors are masters of their own time.)

12. Full-time work. Must the worker spend all of his or her time on your job? (Independent contractors choose when and where they will work.)

13. Work done on premises. Must the individual work on your premises, or do you control the route or loca-tion where the work must be performed? (Answering no doesn’t by itself indicate independent contractor sta-tus.)

14. Sequence. Do you have the right to determine the order in which services are performed? (This shows control over the worker.)

15. Reports. Must the worker give you reports accounting for his or her actions? (This may show lack of inde-pendence.)

16. Pay Schedules. Do you pay the worker by hour, week, or month? (Independent contractors are generally paid by the job or commission, although by industry practice, some are paid by the hour.)

17. Expenses. Do you pay the worker’s business or travel costs? (This tends to show control.)

18. Tools and materials. Do you provide the worker with equipment, tools, or materials? (Independent con-tractors generally supply the materials for the job and use their own tools and equipment.)

19. Right to fire. Can you fire the worker? (An independent contractor can’t be fired without subjecting you to the risk of a breach-of-contract lawsuit.)

20. Worker’s right to quit. Can the worker quit at any time, without incurring liability? (An independent

contractor has a legal obligation to complete the con-tract.) If you have been passive in the past regarding these workforce classification rules, now is the time to get your house in order. We are coming to the end of another calendar year which suggests there is no better time to communicate any necessary changes to remain compliant! Best of success, Dale Limes MAS

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