Walsh Small Business Makeover

TAKE A STAND ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

2010-05-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

by John Shepherd, Adams Entrepreneurial Fellow

Sometimes customers have expectations that are impossibly difficult or that cannot be realistically met. In my lawn care and landscaping business, rain and wet weather slows down our work. Standing water can cause power surges and endanger the crew and bulldozers just do not work in three feet of mud. There are still customers who expect us to work on the project.

When dealing with these types of customers what should business owners and managers do? EO the Entrepreneurs Organization (eonetwork.org) lists these six steps to follow when dealing with an unhappy customer:
1. Listen carefully to what the customer has to say, and let them finish.
2. Ask questions in a caring and concerned manner.
3. Put yourself in their shoes.
4. Apologize without blaming.
5. Ask the customer, "What would be an acceptable solution to you?"
6. Solve the problem, or find someone who can solve it— quickly!

Sometimes the best solution is to cut your losses and fire the customer. Sounds crazy, but it can actually save money. Problematic customers can take up so much time that we give less attention to our happy customers and run the risk of multiplying the problem. If the customer requires more time, effort, or service than ever intended - it is time to take a stand.

In her blog for Fast Company, Customer Evangelist Lynette Chaing shared a letter she received that fired her as a customer.

Dear Lynette, I'm really sorry we haven't been able to meet your needs. We're a small company and though we are pretty good at doing custom orders, there is only so much we can do with our limited resources. We're refunding your deposit, because we believe in under-promising and over-delivering, and we can't promise we can make you happy. We hope you understand. Sincerely ...

The vendor acted swiftly, and Lynette responded by doing business with them again. That's a positive outcome.

Google and SBA Launch “Tools for Online Success” Partnership

2010-05-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Google announced a new partnership and unveiled “Tools for Online Success,” an array of online resources and training designed to help small business owners harness technology to grow their businesses. The “Tools for Online Success” site (http://www.google.com/help/sba) features tutorials, video testimonials, and tips from savvy small business people who have leveraged the Web to become more efficient, more cost-effective, and more successful.

"The SBA is pleased to partner with Google to put these important tools in the hands of small businesses across the country," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "As the Web evolves and consumers adapt accordingly, we know that more customers are finding traditional 'Main Street' businesses online. With these tools for online success, we can ensure these small businesses reach new markets and customers so they can continue to create jobs."

"One fifth of searches on Google are related to location, which shows that people are looking to the Internet to make decisions about where to go and what to do in their daily lives," said John Hanke, Vice President of Product Management, Google. "We want to connect our users with the businesses that provide the goods and services they need, but the first step is for those businesses to have an online presence. We're excited to team up with the SBA to make that process easier for business owners across the country."

Google and the SBA unveiled the partnership during a forum held today at the SBA’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and broadcast live online to press and small business owners across the country. Susan Holt, Principal and Owner of CulinAerie, a recreational cooking school in downtown D.C., shared her experiences working with the SBA and explained how she has used online tools like Google Places and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to attract more aspiring cooks.

Holt is just one of the many small business owners from across the country who are sharing how they've used online tools to reach new customers. Many are featured in the video testimonials found at the “Tools for Online Success” site. Each video documents the unique success stories that these small businesses have created using online technology:

Masha Hleap-Hershkovitz, Owner of Fuego Mundo in Sandy Springs, Georgia, uses social media to request feedback from restaurant customers for improvement. Ms. Hleap-Hershkovitz even used social media to name her restaurant. “We bounced back and forth with a potential name for months, and we were kind of bottle-necked,” she says. “We put it out there [on social media], and it came back 70 percent ‘Fuego Mundo.’” Visit http://www.fuegomundo.com.

Sean Vahey, Owner of Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco launches new menu items and cultivates a worldwide following for his company’s unique ice cream flavors using social media and Google Places. “I don’t have a lot of time do marketing,” Mr. Vahey says. “I don’t have a lot of time to sit down and reach out to people. I’m able to get on the computer and two minutes later, I’ve gotten the word out…Our Google Places page is important, because it’s got all of our information in one spot - our website, our phone number, you can see where we are on a map, and you can even get directions.” Visit http://www.humphryslocombe.com.

Sumul Shah, Owner of Lumus Construction in Woburn, Massachusetts, uses its website and online maps to research projects all over the United States and show potential customers examples of its past work. According to Mr. Shah, “Customers can see and visualize the types of projects and the complexity of the work we do…In the future, our website will not only talk about how much renewable energy we’re building, but we’ll actually quantify it. We’ll be able to take live data coming from all the wind turbines and solar panels that we’ve installed, simulate it, and be able to report not only how much energy we’re producing, but also what the environmental benefits are.” Visit http://www.lumusinc.com.

Aliyyah Baylor, Owner of Make My Cake in Harlem, New York City, redesigned her website to display vivid imagery of its baked goods. Make My Cake is family-owned and operated, and Ms. Baylor says, “Our website is an extension of our business when it’s too busy for someone to answer the phone. It’s our virtual salesperson, and that is very key.” Visit http://www.makemycake.com.

Mandy Scott, Owner of Mandy Scott Flowers in San Francisco uses highly targeted online advertising to help her premium flower boutique compete with national brands on a small marketing budget. She says, “We are tiny compared to the big players. I can’t hope to compete with them on any kind of national scale, but I feel locally we do very well. Showing up in both natural and paid search results is important for us because we want to be on a level playing field with the big guns.” Visit http://www.mandyscottflowers.com.

Jessica Soler, Owner of Salon Red in Decatur, Georgia, uses a website and local online listings to help her customers find salon locations and book appointments. She says, “A great example of how the web helps Salon Red is we were nominated with one of the local papers to be a ‘Best Of’ salon in Atlanta, and tons of people went online to vote for all of our locations. We just were flooded with business, and it all came from online.” Visit http://www.salonred.com.

Christopher Bartlett, Owner of Skaters Landing in West Hartford, Connecticut, uses online videos to teach customers from all over the world how to properly shop for and use ice skating products. “We really were able to reach out to new markets,” says Mr. Bartlett. “I don’t look at [our online efforts] as a place to go to and hard sell, but to really talk with people and answer some of the questions that people might have.” Visit http://www.skaterslanding.com.

Louis Rossetto, CEO of TCHO in San Francisco brings a start-up mentality to his company’s premium chocolate production. TCHO uses web analytics to constantly improve its website's layout, ensuring consumers are engaging with its products in the most effective way possible. “You can’t be a modern company without using modern tools, and online is just fundamental to being in business today,” says Rossetto. “Our website represents our direct link to our customers. We use it to explain who we are, engage our community, and it’s certainly a storefront for us. You’re inviting the whole world into your store if you do that online.” Visit http://www.tcho.com.

Continued success stories like these are the goal of the Google/SBA partnership. Visit the “Tools for Online Success” website for a full run-down, but here are a few easy tips all small business owners should be using:

Establish your online presence. One out of five searches on Google are related to location. Most local online listings such as Google Places are free, and if your business doesn’t have a website, there are ready-made site templates and free hosting services that make establishing an online presence easy.

Use free marketing to reach customers. You can build a fan base with free services like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter that keep your customers in-the-know about new products or specials and aware of promotions. These services are great "word of mouth" platforms - where a customer following you might tell their friends about your business.

Know your customers. Easy to use web analytics tools can tell you a lot about your customers by analyzing what search term brought them to your website or what they look at while they are there. This information can help you make smart decisions about what you feature and what search terms you should run search ads on.

Keep an eye on the latest trends. The growing popularity of smartphones means that more and more customers are searching for local information on the go. This makes it all the more important that a business’s online presence be accurate and up-to-date. You can link to your menu, give users driving directions, and even post digital coupons.

Small Biz Lessons Learned: Insurance

2010-04-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Theft, damage, or fire loss of equipment can put a small business out of business if the company does not have the proper insurance coverage. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way. I have been the owner of J. & K. Lawn Care for over 10 years and in all that time I have never had an equipment claim. That is, until a fire in the trailer destroyed it and all of its contents. All of my lawn care equipment was in the trailer ready for the first mow of spring.

On the Sunday of the fire, I learned the importance of insurance, and knowing your policy.
First off, I was under the impression that I had full replacement coverage for all my equipment and the trailer. NOT! When I called the insurance company, I was surprised to learn I had insurance for the current value of the mowers, a limited amount for the other contents of the trailer, and since the trailer was not hooked to my vehicle, the trailer itself was not covered. Furthermore, since I was using the trailer for business and not personal use, even though the trailer was on my property, homeowners insurance would not cover the trailer.

One of the things I did have was rental coverage in case my equipment was damaged or stolen so that I could continue business. This was a great asset as I spent over $3,000 renting equipment while I negotiated with the insurance company over coverage and value. In the end, I only received a check for about half of my initial investment.
I have had to finance and purchase several replacement pieces of equipment and this unforeseen expense has hurt my company. I had money set aside for investing in other projects that will have to wait.

If I have learned anything from this experience it is that you need to truly understand your personal business insurance. First off, you need REPLACEMENT VALUE on all equipment, not just the fair market price. You should also have coverage for the cost of RENTING equipment in the case of an emergency. It took me almost two weeks before I got a check from my insurance company, without that coverage I could have lost several customers. Lastly, if you do business from your home, make sure you have a RIDER POLICY on any building or equipment that you use as part of the business. Your homeowners insurance probably does not cover any damage caused from doing business from your home or outbuildings.

It was an expensive lesson, but I hope I’ve helped some of you.

John Shepherd, Walsh College Adams Fellow

February Action for Adams Entrepreneur Fellow

2010-03-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

by John Shepherd

February was an interesting month for me as the 2010 Walsh College Adams Entrepreneurial Fellow. I worked on a lot of different projects during the month including Take Off With Troy and Panthera.

I was part of the group that made presentations to potential grant funders from Florida and New York. We’re trying to secure funding for a new entrepreneurship program at Walsh College. I was able to explain the Adams Fellowship to the group as well as share my experiences at Walsh. From all accounts, our presentation went very well. It was a great opportunity for me to see how the staff prepares and executes a sales pitch. Look for announcements on the project in the future.

Take Off With Troy is taking shape. I recently attended the “State of the Cities” event sponsored by our partners The Troy Chamber of Commerce. Some of the people I have been working with this month are Michelle Hodges, President of the Troy Chamber of Commerce, Jeffrey Wright, Senior Vice President of Hennessey Capital, and Nancy Grose, of the U.S. Small Business Administration. All of them are very interesting people with great ideas. What is most exciting for me is that they are all willing to help me and Take Off With Troy succeed.
In the next month I will be attending a lot of Walsh Business Leadership Institute Affinity Group meetings. These meetings bring together established business owners as well as aspiring business owners. They are a great place to learn and share information. I will also be wrapping up the 2009 Small Business Makeovers.

FREE Microsoft Office 2003/2007 Exams

2010-03-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

NEWS FROM MICHIGAN WORKS

§ Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Office 2003 Exam
§ Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) Windows Vista & Office 2007 Exam

To Schedule an Exam:

¨ Contact New Horizons Computer Learning Centers to schedule a date and time for a Measure-Up pre-test.

o New Horizons Troy Location (248) 824-1000, Extension 0

o New Horizons Livonia Location (734) 525-1501, Extension 0

¨ Notify New Horizons Computer Learning Center that you were referred by Michigan Works! Troy.

¨ Your exam must be complete by April 11th, 2010.

To Complete an Exam:

¨ When you report to New Horizons for the exam, please bring two pieces of identification. One must be photo identification.

¨ You must pass a Measure-Up pre-test before sitting for the certification exam.

¨ New Horizons Computer Learning Center will issue the voucher(s) for the certification exam(s).

Important Notes to Remember:

¨ Your exam must be complete by April 11th, 2010.

¨ Elevate America offers online intermediate learning for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. You are strongly encouraged to complete the intermediate learning prior to scheduling an exam. Vouchers are available at Michigan Works! Troy.

Attention Novi Business Owners

2010-02-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Business Assistance Team Town Hall: March 2nd
Helping small business grow and prosper in Novi
Join the City of Novi on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 7:30-9 a.m. at Walsh College in Novi for a FREE networking event and learn about the Business Assistance Team (BAT) in Novi.

The mission of the BAT is to identify small and medium size businesses within the Novi community that would benefit from the business and planning experience the team is able to offer. The goal is to provide knowledge, guidance and useful tools for these businesses to utilize in order to maintain and grow their business in an effective and efficient way. There are NO sales involved in this assistance.

The specific types of assistance the team can offer, include:
• Sounding board for potential ideas
• Review existing business plans
• Marketing, advertising, public relation advice
• Networking within the community
• SBA financing/loan options

To reserve your spot and for more information, please contact Sarah Marchioni at smarchioni@cityofnovi.org or (248) 347-0580 by February 26th.

Helping small business grow and prosper in Novi

2010-02-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

Join Walsh College, The City of Novi and National City Bank on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at Walsh College in Novi for a FREE networking event and an opportunity to learn about the Business Assistance Team (BAT) in Novi.

The mission of the BAT is to identify small and medium size businesses within the Novi community that would benefit from the business and planning experience the team is able to offer. The goal is to provide knowledge, guidance and useful tools for these businesses to utilize in order to maintain and grow their business in an effective and efficient way. There are NO sales involved in this assistance. The specific types of assistance the team can offer, include:

·Sounding board for potential ideas
Review existing business plans
Marketing, advertising, public relation advice
Networking within the community
SBA financing/loan options

To reserve your spot and for more information, please contact Sarah Marchioni at smarchioni@cityofnovi.org or (248) 347-0580 by February 26th.

NEW COLLABORATION WILL ASSIST TROY BUSINESSES

2010-01-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

TROY, MICHIGAN, January 15, 2010 -- Walsh College, the Troy Chamber of Commerce and the City of Troy are collaborating on a new project to offer success strategies to small businesses in Troy. “Take Off With Troy” will be launched on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at a special meeting that will include an Oakland County economic update presented by Deputy Executive Robert Daddow. Continental breakfast and networking will begin at 8 a.m. and details of the new program will be presented by Walsh College President Stephanie Bergeron, Troy Chamber of Commerce President Michele Hodges, and City of Troy Mayor Louise Schilling.

The event is free and open to the public; however registration is requested at this link: www.walshcollege.edu/blifreeregistration

“Take Off With Troy” will offer the expertise of professional teams, called the “Flight Crew” – attorneys, accountants, bankers, marketers and others – who will conduct assessments and provide recommendations for Troy-based small businesses. To assist with the implementation of recommendations and manage change, Walsh College students in the Doctorate of Management in Executive Leadership will coach the business owners and managers. These services will be free of charge to Troy small business owners.

"Take Off with Troy" is an opportunity for existing businesses to grow and expand and for those newer to market to increase the odds of success. With these two components in place, and with a robust partnership between the public and private sectors, in tandem with higher education, an innovation based economy will take hold in Troy,” said Michele Hodges, Troy Chamber of Commerce president.

To be a part of the “Flight Crew,” providers of service will need to be able to commit time, service and a $1,000 participation fee. The overall project administrator will be John Shepherd, a Walsh College master’s degree student, and recipient of the Adams Entrepreneurial Fellowship. The Fellowship is funded by the Carmen and Ann Adams Fund, through the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan to encourage and promote entrepreneurship in the metro Detroit area.

Potential “Flight Crew” members will receive details and applications on “Take Off With Troy” at the January 20 launch. The project will be announced to the Troy business community in March. Contact John Shepherd at 810-614-3520 or email john.shepherd@walshcollege.edu.

ABOUT WALSH COLLEGE
Founded in 1922, Walsh College offers upper-division undergraduate and graduate business and technology degrees and certificate programs at locations in Troy, Novi, Harper Woods, Clinton Township, and Port Huron, as well as online. Walsh College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).

NOTORIOUS C.E.O.

2009-12-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here's one of the hippest set of tips for small business delivered by none other than successful rapper Biggie Smalls. Found this from MarketingProfs.com.

The Notorious CEO: Ten Startup Commandments from Biggie Smalls

It’s not a coincidence that many rap stars are also successful entrepreneurs, and lyrics about business and entrepreneurial ambition are rampant in the genre.

“The Ten Crack Commandments,” a classic and often-referenced track from The Notorious BIG’s 1997 double-album ”Life After Death.” The track is meant to be a crash-course for would-be crack dealers, but Biggie’s ten commandments actually add up to some pretty sound business advice for any industry.

“Rule nombre uno: never let no one know how much dough you hold”
For most companies, there isn’t a tremendous amount of upside to disclosing financials. As such, few privately held companies choose to do so. As Biggie says, broadcasting your financial performance can “breed jealousy,” increasing operational risks and arming your competitors with a more informed sense of your company’s weaknesses.

“Number two: never let ‘em know your next move”
Innovation drives long-term business value. If your company prematurely discloses its strategic plans, it gives your competitors a head-start on emulating or surpassing your innovative strides. It may be tempting to post your 12-month plan on the company blog, but beware the strategic edge it provides to your competitors once it’s out there.

“Number three: never trust nobody”
A healthy sense of paranoia is a valuable asset for business operators. Businesses should take steps to protect their intellectual property, including protection through patents or well-protected trade secrets.

Read the rest here: http://themetricsystem.rjmetrics.com/2009/08/10/the-notorious-ceo-ten-startup-commandments-from-biggie-smalls/

09-10 Small Business Makeovers

2009-10-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sponsors of the Walsh College Business Leadership Institute met today with some of the winners of this year’s “Small Business Mini-Makeover.” The winners will receive 3-hours of free business management services, ranging from strategic planning and legal advice to technology audits, depending on the needs of the company. Results of the mini-makeovers will be revealed at the Fourth Annual Small Business Conference scheduled for May 6, 2010. Premiere sponsors are CPA firm Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci, PC and Foster Swift, Collins & Smith attorneys.

From left: Deborah Lancaster, owner of Harobed; Ursula Scroggs, managing partner of Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci, PC, sponsor of the mini-makeovers; Carol Kirkland, owner of AVE Office Supplies; Beth Schensky, owner of EA Schensky & Associates, Inc.; and LaVerne Reinhardt, owner of Reliance Court Reporting.

Achatz Pies Gets Software from Microsoft

2009-09-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

Walsh BLI sponsor Zenacomp delivered 17 copies of MS Small Business and one Small Business Server to Achatz Handmade Pie Company on Friday. The software was donated by Microsoft Corporation, with technical assistance provided by Peggy Feltner from Zenacomp. Achatz owner Wendy Achatz expressed gratitude to Walsh College, Zenacomp and Microsoft.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATdMIV4DiM

2009-05-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hot Topics for Small Business: Improving Collections
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
8:30 - 10:30 am
Walsh College Troy Campus
Presenters: Mike Semanco and Candi Pavilscak from Hennessey Capital
Does your company employ a sound strategy for collections? Could it use some tweaking? Are you panicked everyday waiting for receivables to appear? Develop a strategy that starts with the sale and ends with the check in your hands at this workshop for small business owners, bookkeepers, sales staff and CPAs. This workshop will provide you with a list of resources as well as a checklist of activities to get you started. Don't miss this timely workshop. Registration fee is only $15 (student rate) for all, register here.

Small Business Makeover Recommendations Working Document, Infra Corporation

2009-05-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Walsh Small Business Makeover Sponsors met with the owners of Infra Corporation and made the following recommendations:

Sponsor Company Name: Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, PC
Attorney Rebecca Davies completed a legal review of Infra's employment contracts, legal issues and risks. Various options were offered for Infra to optimize its workforce.

Sponsor Company Name: Hennessey Capital
After meeting with Infra, Jeff Wright advises Infra to put their assets to work and grow sales or invest. Suggests the owners invest dollars for people and M&E to do so. This should be done on a strategic basis to justify the increase in expenses and overhead. The company can leverage its business assets to create some working capital availability if and when needed.

Sponsor Company Name: UHY Advisors
Dawn Grego and Alan Lund had an introduction meeting with Infra to assess operations and application of UHY's cost model tools. UHY's approach, tool set and consulting services, provides limited value for a company such as Infra, where there is limited production of specialty products.

Small Business Makeover Recommendations Working Document, Achatz Pies

2009-05-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Following meetings with the owners of Achatz Handmade Pie Company, the sponsors made the following recommendations:

Sponsor Company Name: Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, PC
Frank Seyferth, met with Achatz and was able to prepare and execute the following legal documents:

Last Wills (for owners)
Revocable Living Trusts
Durable Powers of Attorney
Medical Directives
Documents to fund their business and certain parts of their real estate to their Trusts

Recommendations for Future

Possible re-organization of the business.

Sponsor Company Name: Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, PC
Rebecca Davies had an initial meeting with Achatz, regarding hiring practices

Recommendations for Future

Draft employee handbook and conduct follow-up meeting
Draft memorandum summarizing hiring practices and future recommendations

These will provide a road map for employees, help provide consistency for supervisors and showcase all the benefits that Achatz already provides to its employees.

Sponsor Company Name: Hennessey Capital
Jeff Wright conducted an initial meeting with Achatz and has made recommendations for two separate scenarios for future growth of the company that he has shared with the owners.

Sponsor Company Name: Mastermind Solutions, Inc.
Renee Robertson completed an initial meeting to review the Human Resources Audit Questionnaire, existing Human Resource documentation, and an actual personnel file.

Mastermind Solutions would like to implement the use of 3-ring binder which includes in each section:

Summary of what's included, along with additional information that may need to be considered by the client, or stating of information that is not included
Current policies and/or forms
Recommended policies and/or forms
Resources and general information pertaining to that section

Topics addressed by Mastermind Solutions were; recruiting, new hires, management, discipline, termination, miscellaneous.

Sponsor Company Name: Payments Authority
Amy Smith, Denise Bahs, Anne LaPine, completed a Payments Process Review and Analysis

They met with Achatz to review their current payment and financial processes and discussed key areas for change:

Identified areas of risk or liability
Outlined the benefits of knowing the balances in all accounts at any given time
Explained why they should monitor all account activity on a regular basis
Reviewed their various payment and collection methods and introduced alternative automated solutions for which they could take advantage.

Recommendations for Future:

Questions to ask their financial institution (or others) when looking to automate processes and implement new applications.
Recommendations for a Direct Deposit marketing campaign to increase its use by employees. Offer key messages, promotional materials and on-site assistance from The Payments Authority staff.

Payments Authority was able to make recommendations for Achatz in several areas:

PAYROLL

Currently, there are approximately 90 Achatz employees. Direct Deposit of payroll is offered through payroll provider. Only 25-30% of employees use DD, which has been offered for 4-5 years. Almost 100% of employees are hourly with varying wages each week. In addition to employees at the plant, they have 6 retail locations, so those who get paychecks get them Wednesday night.

Payments Authority recommends a campaign to promote Direct Deposit to employees. Look for ways to encourage use, especially by employees at retail locations. It is also advised to consider establishing a separate account for payroll and human resources in order to segregate this activity from general operating expenses.

RETAIL OUTLETS/CONSUMER SALES

Currently, there are six retail locations and one website as outlets for consumer sales. Achatz accepts credit cards, cash and checks. American Express is accepted at four locations. The website accepts PayPal transactions. The majority of transactions are credit/debit card.

Using electronic transfers will provide greater flexibility for accessing funds or determining whether short term funding is needed. Incoming funds from the various store locations can be identified separately so that reports can be pulled to see how each outlet is performing from a revenue prospect. Credit/debit card transactions should also be posted.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE / RECEIVABLE

Achatz uses QuickBooks for their accounting system. Invoices/bills are entered twice per week and checks are cut. The approval for payment process seems somewhat cumbersome as the paperwork is touched several times by several people.

Payments Authority recommeds a "deeper dive" on payables. Segregate by: overhead (electric, gas, insurance, accounting, legal, telecom, etc) and supplies (fruit, flour, boxes, thins, etc) . Post charges to multiple general ledger accounts to separate these very different payables. Identify those "suppliers" who can either debit the Achatz account, or who are willing to receive a credit for goods or services. Power/utility companies can invoice electronically and debit on due date via Direct Payment.

Walsh College hosts Third Annual Small Business Conference on May 6 at Novi campus

2009-04-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Walsh College is hosting the Third Annual Small Business Conference from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at the Novi campus. Highlights of this year’s conference include keynote speaker Jim Hiller, president and CEO, Hiller’s Markets and a chance to sign up to be considered for two small business makeovers next year valued at $50,000 each. In recognition of the economic climate, ticket prices are reduced to $25 for Walsh alumni and partners and $50 for the general public.
During the half-day conference, participants will learn the results of the extreme small business makeovers for Achatz Handmade Pie Co. and Infra Corporation. Breakout Session topics include:
· Making a Profit in Michigan?
· H.R. Regulations That Affect Your Michigan Small Business.
· Say Yes to Michigan Small Business Resources!
· Meaningful Legal Documents for the Michigan Business Owner
· Michigan Field of Technology Dreams
Exhibit tables are available to exclusive providers of small business products and service. Exhibitor table fee is $250. Contact Sigrid Murphy for more information or call (248) 823-1384 or smurph2@walshcollege.edu.

To register or for more information about the Walsh College Third Annual Small Business Conference, visit www.walshcollege.edu/smallbiz.

Loans for Small Business

2009-03-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

By Chad Halcom
Crain's Detroit Business
Oakland County officials hope waived fees, greater latitude in refinancing, merging business debt and other new provisions of the federal stimulus package could curb a sharp decline in local small business assistance in recent months. Activity in the Oakland County Business Finance Corp. fiscal 2009 is off nearly two-thirds from this same time during the previous fiscal year, said Catherine Rasegan, loan and finance officer for Oakland County Planning and Economic Development Services. That’s comparable to a decline of more than 60 percent in loan assistance nationwide through the U.S. Small Business Administration, and more than 65 percent decline in Michigan. Rasegan and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson both addressed a crowd of 200 or so attendees Wednesday at a “Small Business Financing Forum” in Birmingham, on changes to SBA lending and local business development incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The OCBFC administers SBA loans to supplement private financing for real and personal property improvements to businesses. A similar local authority, the Oakland County Economic Development Corp., helps sell bonds to finance construction and building improvements that will add or retain jobs at local businesses. In fiscal 2007 the OCBFC approved $39.8 million in loan assistance to 28 businesses, and Rasegan said 2008 fiscal numbers were fairly similar. But this year, the agency has approved only about three loans in the past quarter or so, she said. “There’s still a lack of the private financing to complete those loans, even with SBA assistance, and in many cases you also have the borrower deciding it’s not a time due to the market or the rates they can get,” Rasegan said. The SBA loan assistance approved by OCBFC typically covers just part of a business construction or expansion project; up to 50 percent of the project cost must still be covered by traditional bank financing — a tough sell to borrowers and lenders alike in the current financial market. But Rasegan said the interest level in both OCBFC and OCEDC assistance has climbed again, since the changes enacted after ARRA was signed by President Obama Feb. 17. “We’ve already seen a greater interest in the form of queries, and more applications have been submitted in the past month (since the ARRA was signed) than in the entire preceding quarter. It’s hard to read too much into that since that quarter is usually a slow period,” she said. “But if the (post-stimulus) rate of application continues, it could climb all the way back to a normal activity year.”

Third Annual Small Business Conference Set For May 6

2009-02-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Plans are underway for the third annual small business conference scheduled for Wednesday, May 6 at the Walsh Novi Campus. The program will kick off at 8 am with the results of this year's makeover winners Achatz Handmade Pie Co. and Infra Corporation. Breakout sessions will cover important topics like:

Small business and social media

Smart marketing in tough economy
HR regs affecting your small business

Updating your legal papers

The conference will end at 1:30 pm after lunch and a Michigan Business Success Story to be announced.

In recognition of the economic climate, ticket prices are reduced to $25 for Walsh alumni and partners and $50 for the general public. As always, BLI sponsors and members have free tickets. A limited number of exhibit tables are available for $250. Register here.

From the Detroit Regional Chamber...

2009-02-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Go to any marketing, PR or communications conference and there will be at least a few sessions on adding social media campaigns to your marketing mix. The fact is, social media is what's hot right now. Especially since much if it is free. And, in these rough times where marketing budgets are getting slashed up like victims in a horror flick, social media can be a business's savior. However, one big problem still exists. Many people still don't understand how to use social media or the benefits it can provide.
If you breezed over Walsh College student Brandon Chesnutt's article in the last Detroiter magazine, the article outlines a few simple steps you can make to evaluate whether social media is the right call for your business. If it is, he even gives you a few ideas on how to get started. .
Brandon will also be hosting an online Q&A session on Detroiter Online today (that's Feb. 3 for those of you behind on your email) where you can ask him about friendquests or anything else on your mind in the sphere of social media and networking. .

Achatz Makeover Video

2008-12-18T10:31:00.001-08:00

See Wendy Achatz and Sharon Barnes talk about the makeover.

In the News

2008-12-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a few articles about Walsh and the Makeover:
In Crain's
Small Talk videos will entertain and charm you, but they'll also teach you a little something about running a small business.
SMALL TALK VIDEO
VIDEO: Pie company gets small biz makeoverAchatz Handmade Pie Company got a small business makeover using resources of Walsh College. See what they hoped to accomplish in this Small Talk video -- Watch Video »

In the Troy Chamber e-News
Best of Troy Winners
For over 40 years, the Troy Chamber of Commerce has recognized the outstanding physical investments made by businesses in the city. The 2008 honorees were selected by the Best of Troy Committee of the Chamber and were announced at its annual Holiday Luncheon.

Walsh College was highlighted for the local efforts it has made to help our environment and conserve resources. Virtually all the building materials used have at least some recycled content, and at least 10% of materials used will be recycled. The striking design of the Walsh College Barry Center alerts visitors to the unique mission of the building: sustainable design that supports a business curriculum and welcomes the community to partake of the Walsh experience. The Barry Center’s success as a Green Building is achieved through a host of design strategies and construction practices. The storm water management consists of surface run-off from the parking lot being directed to bio swales, a constructed wetland and water efficient landscaping. Special attention was paid to the building’s use of energy and its impact on the atmosphere and environment inside and out. Energy performance was optimized by 20%, in part by insulating the building with twice the standard level of insulation.

Paid searches can pay off

2008-12-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Kaffer, Crain's Reporter
Published November 16, 2008

WEB FACTS
• Ninety percent of consumers use the Web to find new products.
• Eighty-two percent of businesses searching for a new vendor go online.
• The average Internet user spends seven seconds searching for relevant information on a site.
• Sixty-eight percent of the Americans have high-speed Internet at home.
Source: Mark Young, Western Creative Inc.

The whole point of advertising is to get the most bang for your buck. Determining where that bang can be found is the tricky part.

In this day and age, ad gurus say, the most relevant place to spend advertising dollars is online.
Big business has figured it out, said Mark Young, chairman of Redford Township-based Western Creative Inc.

Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. has cut its national advertising budget by about 16 percent this year but has increased its Internet paid search campaign by just more than 20 percent, he said.

But small business has been reluctant to embrace new media advertising, Young said, in particular a kind of targeted, online advertising called the paid search.

“Every business owner has to ask themselves, if (potential customers) went to a search engine right now, what are the words they would type in to find you?” he said. “And my second question is, when they do that, will they find you?”

A well-planned paid search campaign can ensure that the answer to those questions is “yes,” Young said.

“If they do not find you, then you are missing the most-targeted, most-accurate form of marketing you could ever possibly have,” he said.

A paid search is just what it sounds like. A business pays a search engine, such as Google, to prominently display its information when a certain set of key words are entered. Paid searches typically appear atop the list of links returned or along the right hand side of the search page.
Sixty-eight percent of U.S. households now have high-speed Internet, Young said, and 90 percent of us have access to high-speed Internet outside the home.

“For most businesses, paid and organic searches should be the cornerstone of any marketing campaign,” he said. “Ninety percent of consumers use the Web to search and discover new products, and 82 percent of businesses searching for a new vendor conduct a new Web search.”
Paid searches, he said, are the workhorses of Internet advertising, and they're crucial to successful advertising.

Being found is only half the battle.

“If they do find me, do I deliver them a relevant, on-point message that will hold their attention and get them to take an action?” Young said.

Internet marketing, he said, should take a different form than traditional ads.

“Companies have tendencies to design their Web site as a company brochure online, but people don't use the Web for information, they use it to find the solution to some problem,” he said. “If businesses would build their Web site on a problem-solving model and hire people who have mastered paid search, they could improve their results.”

Folks who are selling online are much more likely to see the merits of online ad tools, said Nipa Shah, a partner in the Jenesys Group L.L.C., a Novi-based online marketing and consulting firm.
“(Small businesses) have this feeling they need to touch more people, but quite a few of them are stuck in traditional ways,” she said. “Companies know Internet marketing needs to be taken to the next level, but it depends, obviously, on budget constraints, or a strategic direction someone may have set within the company.”

Online marketing, Shah said, can widely expand a business' customer base.

“Small businesses — or the people running small businesses — need to think about what is going to happen to their industry if they can't touch more people or get more visibility in or outside the local market,” she said.

With a comprehensive Internet marketing strategy in place, it's time to look at the bigger picture, Young said.

“People don't realize how massive the volume (of Internet searches) is,” he said. “Let's say I was looking for commercial insurance. ... People don't realize that the words "commercial insurance' are typed into a search engine in southeast Michigan 10,000-15,000 times a month. If you're not there, you're invisible.”

Nominate Federal Rules In Need Of Review

2008-11-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

Small businesses and their representatives are continuing to nominate federal rules in need of review and reform. Nominations for the 2009 Top 10 Rules for Review and Reform are being received from across the country and a variety of industries. They are in response to the Office of Advocacy’s Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative.

“Momentum is building for the second year of the r3 initiative Top 10,” said Shawne McGibbon, acting Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “With the success of last year’s Top 10, small business understands that making constructive suggestions for how to improve current rules can result in federal agency action.”

The 2008 Top 10 rules included several that have been reviewed and reformed during the year. For example, in October the EPA encouraged small business to recycle and reclaim their spent materials by reforming the “definition of solid waste.” By reviewing and reforming the definition, EPA is encouraging recycling rather than disposal of certain spent materials.

Moreover, Congress also recognizes the potential the r3 initiative has for unburdening small business in a time of economic uncertainty. In July, Chairman Charles Gonzalez (D-TX) of the Regulations, Healthcare, and Trade Subcommittee of the U.S. House Small Business Committee held an oversight hearing on “Regulatory Burdens on Small Firms: What Rules Need Reforms?” that examined the 2008 r3 Top 10 Rules for Review and Reform.

That hearing resulted in the introduction of the Home Office Tax Deduction Simplification and Improvement Act (H.R. 7074). The bill simplifies the home office deduction by introducing a standard deduction for small business owners. It is companion legislation to S. 3371, introduced earlier this year by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Simplification of the home office deduction was one of the 2008 Top 10 nominations.

The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is still seeking nominations of federal rules in need of review and reform. Early next year, the Office of Advocacy will transmit the 2009 Top 10 rules nominated by small business owners, trade associations, to the appropriate federal agencies for review and reform.

Nominate regulations needing review and reform by visiting the Office of Advocacy r3 website at www.sba.gov/advo/r3, by sending an email to advocacy@sba.gov, or by calling Keith Holman at (202) 205-6933. Nominations are due by December 31, 2008.
###

Achatz in the news again!

2008-11-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

Guess who made the top of Rachael Ray's Pumpkin Pie Picks?
Rachael and her staff had the tough job of tasting some delicious mail-order pumpkin pies -- see which ones made the top three!

If you're like Rachael and you don't like to bake, have no fear! Your Thanksgiving dinner can still be complete with a pumpkin pie made by one of these companies, taste-tested by Rachael and her staff. (And we won't tell if you try to pass it off as your own!)

Achatz Handmade Pie Co.75700 North AveArmada, MI 48005(And other locations)586-784-4PIE(586.784.4743)$25.95

Walsh Makeover Winner on National TV Sunday 11-16

2008-11-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

Great day at Achatz Handmade Pie Co. today! Alicia Smith from Channel 7 interviewed Wendy and Dave as they awaited the arrival of Good Morning America's Marysol Castro. (Watch the segment of the wxyz page and you can see me standing in the background.)

The Walsh College small business makeover winner will compete for "America's Best Slice" next week. The GMA weekend star emerged from her limo, raised her hands and yelled, "Where's Wendy," while the crowd cheered.

Achatz employees invited their families and friends to watch the taping, including a Paws With A Cause dog.

Marysol and Wendy put together a Four Berry, mixing the dough together while the cameras rolled. Watch it on Sunday, Nov. 16, and then vote for Michigan's best pie, Achatz!

Final Four: Achatz Handmade Pie Co. Takes The GMA Challenge

2008-11-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Walsh College Small Business Makeover winner Achatz Handmade Pie Co. is one of four finalists in Good Morning America's Best Slice Challenge. ABC crews will film at the Achatz Chesterfield bakery Friday and air the segment on Sunday, November 16. Then the competition begins!

A panel of judges, consisting of Good Morning America Weekend anchors and possibly one or more guest judges, will sample each of the pies in the middle of Times Square, and then score each finalist entry. The judging panel's scores will count towards fifty percent of the overall scoring.

Viewers will then be asked to go to GMA.ABCNews.com to cast their vote. Check back for the link to vote for Michigan's own entry: The Achatz Four-Berry Pie.

The winner will be revealed on the November 22 GMA Episode. Congratulations Wendy and Dave Achatz and the entire Pie Making Team at Achatz!

Family Business Breakfast Revisited

2008-11-02T09:41:00.001-08:00

Family Business Breakfast panelists reinforced the recommendations from articles below during their discussion at Walsh College on October 30. Sponsor Ursula Scroggs from DKSS moderated the panel with expert guest Dr. Mary Whiteside, psychologist and author of one of the family business book series. Sally and Mark Young and Jill and Mike Kotsis revealed some of the problems couples have when they work together and own a business together.

From left: Mark Young, Western Creative chairman; Stephanie Bergeron, Walsh College president; Dr. Mary Whiteside, psychologist; Mike Semanco, Hennessey Capital president and Walsh College trustee.

Sponsors at the Family Business Breakfast included CORP Magazine family business columnist Rick Segal and business development manager Susan Gibson; and MAP Business Solutions president Mike Pircer and guest Brian Bach, CFO Services.

Walsh adjunct professor Paul Raine, JD; and from sponsor Foster Swift Collins and Smith attorneys Rebecca Davies and Eleanore Schroeder.

Dr. Mary Whiteside offered advice to the family business audience: "identify which hat you're wearing when you communicate with family members. Are you speaking as the business partner, or as the spouse. Try not to mix the two."

Walsh College's new Barry Center auditorium was the site of the Family Business Breakfast and more than 75 people were in attendance.

Thanks to the panelists and to the breakout session presenters:

Frank Seyferth, JD, Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC

Truman Timmis, JD, The Advanced Strategies Group

Rebecca Davies, JD, Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC

Mike Palazzola, CPA, Derderian Kann Seyferth & Salucci PC

Robert Minter, PhD, Walsh College

Diane Buffalin, PhD, psychologist.

Watch for next month's Michigan Business Success Story: Biggby Coffee CEO Bob Fish, November 18, Novi.

Dividends with Lee Meadows: Your company can buy talent or make talent

2008-10-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

by Lee Meadows for Oakland Business Review
Thursday October 16, 2008, 5:05 AM

The next skill set needed by managers and the organizations they serve will be knowing how to broaden the search for badly needed talent without making it seem like an Indiana Jones adventure.

The nature of an organization has little relevance as to whether or not it is equipped to locate and select good people to fill the talent void. Most organizations don't recognize that there is a problem until a noticeable percentage of their workforce is strutting down Project 'Done, Wave' while smiling at the receptionist.

The choice of where to divert limited resources, in an attempt to remain competitive, is the classic 'make' or 'buy' dilemma that confronts most senior managers. On the one hand, time, energy and effort can be channeled to a revolving door hiring process in which talent is 'bought' by way of a decent hourly wage, benefits and the always appealing element of being employed.
This kind of 'buy' decision recognizes that success is measured by the number of people who do not make it past the 30-, 60- and 90-day cycle of employment, and it relies heavily on casting a wide net among employable adults and hoping that of those who are brought in, a few hang on long enough to become good employees.

Unfortunately, this kind of repetitive occurrence is akin to what Bill Murray experienced in the movie, 'Groundhog Day'. It keeps repeating itself, and it always will, until something drastic takes place. Meantime, a reckless cycle of net casting frontloads the organization key resources by having them engaged in a non-stop pattern of 'hiring' interviews that do nothing more than bandage the problem.

Usually the 'buy' decision is tied to an internal structure in which management training, leadership development and communication skills are avoided because they are seen as 'fluff' and have no basis in reality. The impact of a well-trained manager is, apparently, less visible to the naked eye when compared to the physical reality of actually seeing a body sitting in a chair, so what if it's only for 30 days.

On the other hand, the 'make' decision moves the use of resources from the front end to the internal core of the organization.

The process focus is on the retention, development and elevation of internal talent through a series of carefully planned experiences that are more than just watching a seat being warmed for 30 days. A manager is now actively engaged in working with staff members to draw out the best thinking, skill acquisition and knowledge expansion needed to sustain an ongoing competitive advantage.

When an organization commits to 'make' the talent, the support comes directly from the organization by way of management training programs that go above and beyond 'Supervision 101'. Managers are required to do more than just 'direct' - they are required to provide guidance and constructive feedback, insure development and position themselves as their organizations' emissaries to the employees performing the tasks.

Managers working within a 'make' talent structure understand the importance of consistently meeting with employees to discuss organizational, professional and personal goals to insure that there is an alignment that allows the employee to progress forward. Far from creating a therapeutic community, the manager understands that tone, tempo and temperature are established through their individual style and their approach to creating the set of organizational conditions that allow for the 'making' of good talent.

At a time when talent retention is an ongoing issue for organizations that employ 'Gen Y'ers' and 'Millennials', whose mindset starts with the career portfolio as opposed to the career ladder, then the choice between 'make' or 'buy' talent will have implications for organizational performance in ways that are still unrealized. Lee Meadows is a management professor at Walsh College in Troy and a motivational speaker. He can be reached at (248) 679-1435 or lmeadows@walshcollege.edu.

More resources for couples in business

2008-10-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

From FORTUNE SMALL BUSINESS
The checklist: What to do before you launch
Partnering up for business requires legal and financial homework - especially if you're married. Here's what to keep in mind before signing on the dotted line. http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/09/smbusiness/couples_checklist.fsb/index.htm

http://www.bizzyness.com/

http://www.kmarshack.com./publications/articles.html

http://www.smsmallbiz.com/profiles/Work_and_Life_Entrepreneurial_Mates.html

Oct. 30 Family Business Breakfast at Walsh College

2008-10-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Walsh Business Leadership Institute will host a Family Business Breakfast on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at the Troy Campus. Special guest panelist Mary Whiteside, PhD, will offer guidance to husbands and wives who own businesses together.

Guest couples include Mark and Sally Young, owners of Western Creative, a Redford based advertising agency; and Mike and Jill Kotsis, succeeding generation of Atlas Wholesale Food Co. in Detroit. Panel moderator will be family business specialist Ursula Scroggs, CPA, president, Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci PC.

Breakfast and registration open at 7:30 am and the program will begin at 8.

Breakout sessions on a variety of topics relevant to family owned businesses will be offered until noon.

Among the late morning educational topics:

Organizational Communication

Succession Planning

How Much is My Family Business Really Worth?
Equitable Pay for Family Members

More breakout session descriptions coming soon! Check here.
For online registration click here. Walsh BLI members and sponsors may email their RSVP jhubbard@walshcollege.edu. Tickets are $15 for all blog readers!!!

Here are a few additional articles on family business:

http://www.smsmallbiz.com/profiles/Siblings_and_Business_Partners.html
http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/08/smbusiness/entrepreneurial_couples.fsb/index3.htm
http://www.inc.com/articles/2008/01/couples.html

Couples Working Together

2008-09-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here's and article from New York Life

It can be a real challenge having to deal with a partner in business. It can be even tougher when that partner is your spouse. The result can be pure craziness or business bliss — depending on whether you take the time to carefully structure your business relationship. Still, husband/wife teams have proven to be a winning combination for millions of small businesses. During the 1980s, the number of businesses run by married couples increased more than 90 percent, according to the Small Business Administration. These weren't just mom & pop shops, either. In 1995, a full one third of the fastest growing private companies on the Inc. 500 list were owned and operated by husband and wife teams.
There are distinct drawbacks
Companies can be torn apart if the unique relationship between husband and wife partnerships takes an ugly turn. The most obvious: misunderstandings can bring marital troubles from home into the business, eventually resulting in failure and the loss of jobs and money. Worse, the business can (in fact, generally does) become a pawn in divorce settlements. That's because it's often the single greatest asset in the marriage. In this respect, working together can be a detriment to both the business and to the marriage.
And distinct benefits
Still, the benefits can far outweigh the potential disadvantages. Couples who know how to work closely together share a unique dedication and loyalty to their business's success. And let's face it, it's also fun to be able to work shoulder to shoulder every day with your life partner in a common purpose. That's why, best of all, husbands and wives who are successful in business together tend to enjoy peace and harmony in their personal lives as well. If you're part of a husband and wife business partnership, here are a few suggestions to help ensure that both the business and the marriage continue to prosper:
Divvy up responsibilities.
Maintain clear and separate areas of responsibility. If necessary, write down job descriptions. Then leave each other alone to do his or her job. Perhaps she heads up marketing and sales, while he focuses on product development. This division of labor is crucial for maintaining the working relationship. Other wise you will literally be stepping all over each other. It will only be a matter of time before problems develop, resentments build. Sure, you love to be together, but too much of a good thing can make you miserable and drive you apart.
Keep your personal lives out of the conference room.
Conduct yourselves professionally at all times while on 'company time.' Public displays of affection, personal conversations or other signs of intimacy can embarrass or alienate other workers. Worse, they can disrupt the smooth flow of business. It should be possible for strangers to walk into your company and, based on your actions and conduct towards one another, not know that you have a relationship outside the business.
Keep business out of the bedroom, or anywhere else in the house, for that matter.
Many spouse teams are so busy all day that they don't have much time to talk about business. So, they take half an hour or so after hours to catch up, unwind together and make the transition from business partners to marriage partners. Then they put business away for the day. The idea is to strike a healthy balance between your business life and your personal life.
Get away with each other.
Plan work-free vacations and get-away weekends so you don't ever forget that you're much more than business partners.
Get away from each other.
It's unrealistic to believe that you can be side by side 24 hours a day and still maintain a healthy outlook and attitude. Develop outside interests in things that belong strictly to you.
Capitalize on the benefits of being in business together.
Maybe one of you works just 20 hours a week or splits hours between home and the office or shop. The point is that you have the luxury or setting your own hours and planning your own schedules. Reminder: make sure all schedule changes are part of a well thought-out plan. Otherwise, work days run the risk of becoming too casual.

In Business Together

2008-08-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

The winning makeover companies are both family businesses run by husband and wife. Dave and Wendy Achatz are pictured in a previous post. Here's a picture of Infra Corporation's owners Cindy and Brian McGraw.
Last week, the two new makeover couples met the Morbachs from Sanit-Air. Mike Kotsis from Atlas Wholesale Foods now has his wife working with him. Here's what they all say about working together:
Drive your own car to work and home.
Leave work at work, and family issues at home.
Take vacations for just the two of you away from family and obligations.

Walsh BLI Affinity Groups tackle these topics - Females in the Family Business meet the fourth Thursday each month. Spouses, siblings, parents, and children are family business relationships of the group. Next Generation is a group of younger people planning to take over the family business. They meet the last Friday of the month. Experienced Entrepreners discuss business growth as well as wealth management.

Work-Life Balance is integrated to most group discussions. Husbands and wives working together as business partners and life partners need that balance most of all.

Next Makeover Companies Chosen

2008-08-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

Chesterfield based Achatz Handmade Pie Company and Infra Corporation of Waterford are our makeover winners! Both are family owned and operated, and both have large manufacturing facilities. Both will receive advice and services worth more than $50,000.

Makeover sponsors Hennessey Capital, Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci, P.C., and Foster Swift Collins and Smith Attorneys are donating business, tax and financial systems overview and legal services. Professionals from marketing, accounting, human resources, information technology, and financial planning companies (listed on the right) will also advise Infra Corpration and Achatz. Their services are all donated.

Keep watch here as the magic unfolds!

Small Business Makeover - Second Edition

2008-07-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

The selection panel visited with Achatz Homemade Pie Company today. Their plant is out in Chesterfield and they have about six stores around the metro Detroit area. In fewer than 15 years Wendy and Dave have gone from baking in their kitchen and selling at craft shows, to an industrial complex and multi-state distribution of a very wide product line. They are poised to explode and will capitalize on the makeover expertise to take them to a whole new level.

Pictured here are Dave and Wendy Achatz (rhymes with jackets), Ursula Scroggs, Jeff Wright and Frank Seyferth from the three top Walsh College Business Leadership Institute sponsors.

Family Business Books

2008-07-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Members of the Walsh family business affinity groups can borrow any of the books from the Family Business series. Really, they are good reads for any small business owner. The authors have long studied the dynamics and pitfalls in family businesses that also apply to all. Their advice is solid, and makes the reading time worthwhile. Here's a link to the bookseller if you're not nearby to borrow. They offer a newsletter and regular emails to keep you thinking about improvement and success. A Sibling Summit for family business was held in another state last spring. A few of our members have had tough times transitioning the business between the brothers and the sisters. Anyone interested in pursuing that topic this fall?

Makeover Update

2008-07-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

Today we interviewed four companies for the next small business makeover. One of the companies is a creative services firm, one is in the metal design and fabricating business for the exhibit industry, another is a pie maker and one is a multi-faceted metal shop. All were such nice people. The problem is narrowing down to only two. But the selection panel is going to be more deliberate this year and only pick two. Three was too many last year. Keep watch for their choices!

jan

Highly Effective Web Sites

2008-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article I received in an email from MarketingProfs:

Blogging for Dollars
Michael Martine of Remarkablogger defines a business blog as one that supports the sales and marketing efforts of your company; and if it's going to be successful, he says, your business blog needs to include elements like these:

Basic information about your company. Tell your readers about your business, what you do, about your customers and where you're located. "This goes into the smack-your-forehead-no-duh category, but I see business blogs all the time that haven't managed to communicate the most basic of business information to people," says Martine. This info can be included in a blog must-have: the About Us page.

Highly visible and functional contact forms. "You need to make it ridiculously easy for your potential customers to contact you," he says. And, lead-generation aside, there's another reason for making contact as simple as possible—it doesn't look right if you're hard to reach, and customers might think twice about giving you their money.

Highly visible products/services pages. "What do you sell?" asks Martine. "Please tell me. Don't make me guess, because I won't—I'm already gone." As with your About Us page, he suggests hiring professional copywriters to create appealing pages for the products or services you sell, with the assurance that you'll see plenty of ROI on the investment.

The Po!nt: "You can do these … steps," says Martine. "They're not that difficult. They will help immensely. Remember: you're not in business to lose money, but to make it. Hand over fist is preferable."
Source: Remarkablogger. Click here for the post.

Linked to Atlas

2008-05-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

This is nice -- Atlas Wholesale Food Co. added a link to the blog on their homepage! Networking and keeping in touch with the makeover sponsors and others who crossed their paths this year will be important for the makeover companies and the Adams Fellow. Both Mike Kotsis and John Kohl from Atlas are on www.LinkedIn.com. As the price of gas gets higher and higher, and the business world keeps going global, we're all going to rely more and more on social media to stay connected.

Makeover Magic

2008-05-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great day on May 8. More than 200 people attended the Small Business Conference where we revealed the results of the makeover! Here's what the Free Press had to say:

Walsh College program helps 3 firms make needed changes to thrive ...One company got help with succession planning. Another received marketing assistance. One was offered tips on how to improve its bidding process.

It was dark in the room, so we didn't get great pictures, but here's a few.

And we have a new partner for the next Makeover: ZenaComp!

Ventured Gains – Who Are Your Customers?

2008-04-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

By Frank Hennessey, Chairman and CEO, Hennessey Capital
for April 10, 2008 v. 01 in the Oakland Business Review

If you had a idea about repositioning your company in the market, wouldn’t it be great to have a team of marketing, accounting, financing and other business experts just swoop in for free and help you get it done?

Well, that’s just about how it happened for Connie and Tom Morbach, the owners of Sanit-Air in Troy, and two other companies that earned Walsh College Extreme Small Business Makeovers last fall. The program brings ten companies to help small businesses analyze their situations and execute strategies that will help them grow. The Morbachs got great help from the experts, but their experience is also a good case study in asking the fundamental question: Who is my customer?

Here’s the situation. Sanit-Air cleans heating and cooling ductwork. For years it basically relied on mass mailings to recruit customers. As Tom put it – they were buying ads and waiting for the phone to ring. That strategy began to weaken as the economy tightened and customers delayed maintenance for items they couldn’t easily see – including the insides of their heating ducts.
In a crowded field of competitors, however, Sanit-Air has one crucial advantage. Connie is an environmental research scientist. She has experience evaluating problem buildings, conducting air testing and providing expert testimony for water-related construction defects, sick buildings, and mold remediation.

To take advantage of those credentials, the Morbachs needed to rethink who their customers really were. One group consists of people who already recognize the benefit of regular duct cleaning. Who are they? The Morbachs realized that former customers very likely fit that category. So instead of mass mailings, Sanit-Air is sending regular communications to its own client list. One of the Walsh consulting firms, Western Creative, also helped Sanit-Air sponsor a Saturday home improvement radio program, because its listeners are likely to be receptive to messages about preventive maintenance.

Those would have been important steps by themselves, but other key targets for Sanit-Air are people who are experiencing health problems related to the air quality in their homes and workplaces. Here is where Connie’s expertise is crucial. Based on her skills, Sanit-Air can conduct qualified air quality tests as well as building inspections for probable sites of contaminants. The company can recommend and execute a number of different solutions to air quality issues, and duct cleaning is just one of them. Again the question is, how do you find those people?
One simple answer is you let them find you on the Internet, where it is increasingly likely that people are looking when they have health issues they suspect are caused by environmental conditions. To that end Western Digital helped Sanit-Air redesign and relaunch an information-rich Web site that easy to find on Internet search engines.

A second way to find people who are sick is by talking to doctors. People affected by indoor pollution often see an allergist, so the company has started an outreach program to educate doctors about its range of assessments and solutions. Connie’s credentials give Sanit-Air credibility when she talks to medical professionals.

These have been big changes for a small company, and other Walsh partner companies have been supporting them through the process. But you can ask the same basic questions about your company: “Who are my customers? What can I do that’s valuable to them?” and “How do I find them?”

You will likely have to identify your own resources to answer those questions, but if you want a shot at getting the same help Sanit-Air and the other two companies got from Walsh College and its partners, the competition for round two will be announced May 8 at the college’s Extreme Small Business Makeover Conference. Check the school’s Web site www.walshcollege.edu for details and plan on attending.

Hear Vic Conant Speak At Walsh College on May 8

2008-04-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Some kids grow up hearing rock-and-roll legends. Vic Conant grew up hearing motivation industry legends - Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, and Earl Nightingale.

“When Dad played Earl Nightingale's recordings you listened, no matter what you were doing!” Vic recounts.

All that listening paid off. Today, Conant is a nationally recognized motivational speaker --and is chairman of the $40-million Nightingale Conant Corp.

On Thursday, May 8, Conant will be at the Walsh College Novi campus to give the keynote address at “Makeover Magic: Marketing, Money, Manpower, and Management Tricks to Transform your Business.”

It’s the Second Annual Small Business Conference and Extreme Small Business Makeover, an educational forum for small and family businesses to find ways to survive and thrive in Michigan’s current economy.

The event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 41500 Gardenbrook Road, and is presented by presented by the College’s Business Leadership Institute and the City of Novi.
Highlights include:
Revealing Results of the Extreme Small Business Makeover for three companies selected at the 2007 Small Business Conference. Makeovers included assessments, advice, and assistance in making changes needed for sustainability and growth.
Owners of Sanit-Air, a Troy-based air-quality business; Wolverine Carbide Die of Troy; and Atlas Wholesale Foods of Detroit will take part in a panel discussion about what they learned and the most significant changes made to their businesses. Read about the three makeover companies.
Mesmerizing Mini-Sessions by the Makeover Magicians. Presenters, highly respected experts in their fields, include local professionals as well as Walsh College faculty.
Re-Markable Exhibitors. Twenty vendors will exhibit products and programs serving small business.
Mind-Blowing Novi Business Boulevard. Fifteen Novi businesses will be on hand for a “Taste of Novi”.
Microsoft demonstrations of new technology.
Marvelous Lunch and late afternoon Networking Reception.

Tickets are $50 until April 15, and can be purchased online. Price includes a continental breakfast, lunch and reception.
More information is available at the 2008 Small Business Conference site or by calling Jan Hubbard, 248-823-1392.

Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci PC; Foster Swift Attorneys and Hennessey Capital are the event’s main sponsors.

Founded in 1922, Walsh College is Michigan’s largest graduate business school. The College offers upper-division undergraduate and graduate business and technology degree and certificate programs to 4,600 students at campuses in Troy, Novi, and Clinton Township, as well as online.

Money!

2008-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

This just in -- Ursula Scroggs, of makeover sponsor DKSS, found $150,000 in unrecorded assets at one of the companies receiving a makeover. More on this later!

Ventured Gains: Small Business Extreme Makeover

2008-03-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ventured Gains
"Ventured Gains" is a monthly column, written by Frank Hennessey and featured in Oakland Business Review.

One is a third-generation family business that distributes wholesale foods to restaurants, another is a company that cleans air ducts but has under-used expertise to deliver customers air quality testing and consultation, and the third is an automotive tool and die maker that, well, need we say more? They are very different companies, but all three are now under the microscope of a Walsh College Extreme Small Business Makeover.Inspired by the many ?makeover? programs in the media, Walsh College gathered its own resources plus ten business advisors, including our own Mike Semanco, president of Hennessey Capital, to donate services worth more than $40,000 to help the three chosen companies meet their unique business challenges. The three companies were selected in September and their makeovers are underway right now.I am a fan of using universities and students to help companies with their strategies, tactics and systems. I have done this over the years and their fresh thinking is always helpful. The Walsh program takes that idea up a notch by recruiting outside experts as well as this year?s Adams Entrepreneurial Fellow in its masters degree program. It is a great example of the kind of contribution our colleges and universities can make to the area economy. Attorneys, accountants and business coaches don?t usually give away their services, but under the Walsh umbrella, they become part of a high visibility project and a collaborative team that could pay off in new relationships, contacts and knowledge in the long run. And the three companies that were chosen ? they have been interviewed, site-visited, examined and discussed in depth by the consulting team and are about to find out what kind of changes they might make to thrive in today?s tough business environment.Located in Troy, Sanit-Air has all the equipment and staff to clean air ducts, but it also has the expertise to do air quality testing, contamination remediation and consulting. Its best opportunity for growth comes from its expertise, and the company needs help to find markets for its service, brand itself in those markets and recruit new customers.Wolverine Carbide Die is another Troy company, and it has an excellent record of creating die sets for forging particularly difficult automotive parts. However, two of its customers recently closed, and another moved to Korea. That creates the same challenges hundreds of other small companies are facing right now in the automotive business.Finally, Atlas Wholesale Foods, based in Detroit was started as a family business selling Feta cheese and other Greek specialties to small restaurants in the area. As the third generation of the family surveys the market, smaller restaurants are closing down and large regional and national food distributors are moving in. The Makeover will only help those three companies, but the process of self-examination that they are going through would benefit just about any company. Just to get into the program, these organizations had to look at themselves and identify an area where they faced a business challenge. They also had to convince the judges they were committed to making changes ? even if they might be difficult or painful. Not every business is ready for that. Many of us want to overcome challenges, but we don?t want to do anything different to meet them. If the changes these companies have to make become painful, they will at least have a solid team to coach them through the process. We?ll check back with them over the next six months, because they are certain to have good stories to tell.
Frank Hennessey is chairman of Hennessey Capital, a Huntington Woods specialty finance company. He can be reached at OBR@hennesseycap.com.

MAKEOVER TRACTION

2008-02-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here’s where the makeovers stand:

Atlas Wholesale Foods has better employee communication and accountability with help from Rebecca Davies from Foster Swift Collins and Smith and Renee Robertson from Mastermind Solutions; they have hired a new salesperson and also created a new position of a contract/bid coordinator. Both positions bring a fresh level of contact and service to customers. Frank Seyferth from Foster Swift has helped Atlas begin a succession plan to transition company control to the next generation.

Thanks to their coach Kim Greenspan and other makeover advisors, Sanit-Air has made changes to its operating structure resulting in a more focused approach on their core competencies. That led to their decision to sell under utilized equipment and plunge company resources into higher growth opportunities. A new computer system includes software donated by Microsoft. Western Creative is helping Sanit-Air with Web site revisions and a new radio campaign.

Wolverine Carbide Die Company has also hired a new salesperson. Their TAB coach, Ian Charles, showed them how to look very differently at variable costs -- which led to a whole new way to quote business. The effect on the bottom line will be revealed at the Small Business Conference. Makeover sponsors from MAP Business Solutions and UHY Advisors held an on-site “Kaizen Event” for Wolverine that identified new methods for improved manufacturing techniques, that would lower costs by over 30 percent.

Stay tuned, more exciting news and developments in the days and weeks ahead.

Who Knew about Web Two?

2008-02-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

It's called Web 2.0 and it's all about being interactive. Stayed tuned as we learn more about these wiki-ways:

Diggit
popuri.us
del.cio.us
technorati
RSS

Apparently if you go to del.icio.us/url/ and put in your website you can see how many people have saved your site as a favorite. We'll try to bring this information to our small business makeovers as we learn more ourselves. If you have knowledge on these technoterms, share it here.

Joe's Dirty Dozen

2008-01-29T20:51:00.000-08:00

Joseph W. Sutschek
V.P. DevelopmentRamco-Gershenson, Inc.
Twelve Rules for Good Government Relations
Many small businesses seek to work for government entities. Joe Sutschuk is a veteran deal maker and developed this dirty dozen list many years ago. Joe spent many years with the city of Southfield, and is currently vice president of Development at Ramco-Gershenson and a member of the Walsh Novi President’s Advisory Council. He’s been using this list for more than a dozen years, but it still rings true.

1. Never make a commitment that you can’t keep.
This the absolute cardinal rule. You need to develop a trustworthy relationship. Once that trust is broken, it is virtually impossible to rebuild. All future plans and projects will be highly scrutinized to your long term detriment.
2. Be a good corporate citizen.
Your company needs to be and be viewed as a good citizen that responds to appropriate public needs in a positive manner. Communities will ask you for help in a number of different ways, not just financial. Stretch as far as you can to accommodate the various requests that come your way.
3. When working in a community for the first time, take extra time to review your company’s background and your position or role in it.
You want to make sure that the community comes away from your meeting with the impression that you and your company are highly capable, professional, and honest. This requires that you dress and talk professionally, show respect, and be very straightforward in answering questions.
4. Pay attention to proper protocol.
Always have the appropriate company representative, by rank or title, at the appropriate meeting. You don’t want to have your lowest staff member be your sole representative at a meeting with the planning director, the mayor, or city manager. You run the risk of insulting them and telling them that your request is not really as important as you are making it out to be.
5. Make sure your relationship is not just business.
Make occasional social calls. You don’t want to be viewed as the shop that only comes around to sell something. Drop in on occasion to just say hello, drop a note, and invite officials to lunch. Be mindful of the frequency, the relationship must always be and appear proper.
6. When you appear before a planning commission or city council show them that you respect them and the positions they hold.
Start your presentation by introducing yourself by name and title. Introduce all other participants and what they will present, if anything. Have all questions come through you. You can decide to answer them yourself or hand off to one of the other experts. Always answer all questions through the chair. This allows you to control the answers and show the chair that you recognize the authority.
Make the length and content of your presentation appropriate for the scale of the project or topic. Be thorough, but not overly verbose. Above all, shut up when you have sold the refrigerator.
Never lose your temper or show anger. Answer all questions politely, directly and to the point. They will know if you are trying to hide something. If you don’t know the answer or do not want to answer the question, tell them you don’t know or that you are not authorized to answer.
Show up a few minutes early regardless of your position on the agenda.
Sometimes you can pick up some tips from observing the conduct of the meeting on another project. Never have side conversations when the meeting is going on.
7. Never assume that the staff is dumb, over paid and underworked just because they work for the government. On the contrary, most government workers are bright, know their jobs, and work hard. Don’t ever make the mistake of underestimating their ability. Their bottom line is just not necessarily the same as yours.
8. Government is a political animal. There is always a political agenda.
Even the most professional staff representative will reflect that agenda. You must discover that agenda, and to the maximum extent possible, make your plans and presentations reflect it. Government agencies generally have to do with aesthetics, tax base, infrastructure costs, image, corporate citizenship, etc. Your profitability is not a real concern of theirs.
9. You only have six bullets in your six shooter, use them wisely.
Even the best of relationships will only accommodate a given number of considerations. Save them for your most important projects.
10. Be realistic about your expectations.
Good government relations will get you objectivity, a quick meeting, a telephone call returned and in general, common courtesy. It will not get you a decision if the government agency concludes that it is not in their best interest.
11. Let each project stand on its own.
Keep the past in the past. You won’t be a winner all of the time. Sometimes you will lose. Be a good and gracious loser. Don’t let the fallout of a prior loss affect the current deal.
12. Recognize that political contributions are a way of life.
Be prepared to deal with political contributions. You will not be able to respond to all of them. Develop a company policy that places a priority on requests.

Making Connections

2008-01-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

From Jan at Walsh College
Today in our Experienced Entrepreneurs Affinity Group meeting we talked about traditional advertising and how to get more bang for your buck. Small businesses usually find that traditional media - newspapers, radio, television - are beyond their means. But small businesses are often more creative when it comes to finding ways to get the word out. New media should be where small businesses look for affordable marketing solutions. As "experienced entrepreneurs," most of the group is over 40; and therefore much less likely to be fluent in Web 2.0. So the group is going to learn! Many of us signed up to go to the Detroit PRSA meeting in February. We also looked at building our social capital on LinkedIn. Those of us who use it have success stories. Word of mouth is hands-down the best way to reach new people. How do you create buzz? How do you get that viral marketing working? See if there's information on here that you can use. Let me know what works for you!

January 2008 Update

2008-01-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

By Gary Phillips, makeover coordinator

The makeover process is heading along at full steam. Recommendations have been conveyed to the makeover companies and they have been received with much enthusiasm. One of the companies even stated that they intend to implement all of the advisor’s recommendations as soon as possible.

The makeover companies are already starting to realize the value of all the hard work and concerted efforts of the advisory panel and Walsh College participants. The companies’ processes, policies and practices are being revised and updated as a result of the recommendations and new models of efficiency and modernization are starting to emerge.

The sometimes arduous task of analyzing and assessment has borne the fruits of innovative and practical recommendations for solutions to the myriad challenges faced by small business in today’s tough economic conditions. A debt of gratitude goes out to all involved in the makeover process, as their efforts are greatly appreciated for the impact they have begun to produce.

As the recommendations take hold and effectuate positive change to the organizations involved, the implementation process will further challenge and reward the enterprises engaged through new visions and missions that provide enhanced clarity for the future.

So please stay tuned for more exciting news and developments in the makeover program, as progress is further demonstrated with more yet to take place in the ensuing months.

Makeover Update

2007-11-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

The Walsh College Extreme Small Business Makeover process is in full swing and moving along at an exuberant pace. The professional advisor evaluatons and assessments are nearly complete as the process begins to shift into the next phase of developing recommendations. The advisory group participants have made contact and visited the makeover companies appraising the current conditions of each organization, analyzing the trends to be able to move onto the consequential task of identifying worthy potentialities.

Nearly every aspect of the subject firms has been scrutinized by the panel of experts including financial, legal, marketing, sales, human resources, process control, communications, company visions, competitive environment benchmarking, information technology, capital resources and management structure.The reconnaissance of information, analysis and discussions have taken place in order to reach the next stage of development in the makeover application, the recommendation phase. The Walsh College advisory group is currently working on various senarios of possibilities in order to refine and prioritize the desirable prospects for improvement.

Once the advisory panel has set forth and deliberated their recommendations, a compilation of such will be presented to the makeover organizations before the end of the year.After the companies have received the recommendations, digested the ramifications and determined the best way to proceed with the assistance of the Walsh College advisory group, they will then begin to enter the subsequent juncture of implementation.

This is where all the hard work, diligence and professional advice can come together in order to make an impact on the companies' procedures, processes, market position and profitability.

It has been an interesting and exciting endeavor thus far, so stayed tuned for more rousing adventure along the makeover path, the pace is starting to quicken and the journey well underway to makeover success.
Posted by Gary Phillips, November 2, 2007 10:00 AM

2007-10-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

All three makeover winners are meeting monthly with coaches from TAB - The Alternative Board. Kim Greenspan is coaching Sanit-Air's Tom and Connie Morbach; Ian Charles is coaching Wolverine's Nick Stavropoulos; and Carl Ammacapane is coaching Atlas Wholesale's Mike Kotsis.

If you've never used a coach before, here are a few reasons why you might want to look for one:

You’re stuck and need to move from ideas to action in one or more areas of your business.
You don’t have a clear vision of what your personal or business future looks like, making it impossible to plan for it.
You need someone to hold you accountable, demand results and push you to be your best.
You need an objective eye that can see the big picture, an outsider who isn’t blinded by your industry or by too many years in your business.
You can see opportunities to grow your business but aren’t sure how best to capitalize on them.
You just can’t seem to get out from under a mountain of commitments and work on the things that are strategically important in moving your business to the next level.

Just like a personal trainer, I think I might use a coach to push me. I would probably have a great vision for what I would want the business to be, but easily distracted by the daily work. A coach could help refocus on the long-term vision and not use the day to day as an excuse. Tell us about your business coach!

Posted by Jan Hubbard

Troy Businesses Win Extreme Makeovers From Walsh College Sponsors

2007-10-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

Troy Businesses Win Extreme Makeovers From Walsh College Sponsors

Off To A Roaring Start

2007-09-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

POST ONE BY GARY PHILLIPS
The Extreme Small Business Makeover is off to a roaring start. All the businesses in the makeover have been visited by myself and at least two consultants, along with a survey of their computer system capacity for new software. The excitement is starting to build as the consultants delve into some of the operating procedures and intricacies of each business. The owners of the companies have been very receptive and cooperative, and have expressed how they are excited to view their business in a new light.

The ensuing weeks will hold a myriad of further analysis and assessment activities. In addition to the business, tax and financial systems overview, there will be benchmarking analysis, legal consultation, financing analysis, human resource audit, operational and productivity assessment, marketing and brand advice, and computer system software installation assistance.

There is much work to do in evaluating the current position and practices of each business, and the process will take time and effort on everyone's part, but the prospects for improvement are already being felt. Once the evaluation/assessment phase has been completed, the next phase will be to analyze all the gathered information and begin to make recomendations for improving the businesses.The makeover journey has begun with much anticipation and excitement as the process gets underway, so stayed tuned for more action, there is a lot more to come.

And The Winners Are...

2007-09-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today all the sponsors got together to confirm details of the Extreme Small Business Makeover. At the meeting were:
Ursula Scroggs from DKSS
Frank Seyferth from FSCS
Mike Semanco from Hennessey Capital
Rebecca Davies from FSCS
Jeff Wright from Hennessey Capital
Curt Hicks from Center for Computer Resources
Kim Greenspan, Ian Charles and Carl Ammacapane from TAB Detroit
Ray Campbell from Mastmind Solutions and Gary Phillips, Adams Fellow
Al Lund and Dawn Grego from UHY Advisors
Mark Young from Western Creative
Mike Pircer from MAP Business Solutions
Tammé Quinn-Grzebyk from VerbalWise

It was also the first time all the sponsors met the makeover winners. They are:
Atlas Wholesale Foods
Sanit-Air
Wolverine Carbide Die
Pictured are the representatives (from left)
Nick Stavropoulos from Wolverine Carbide Die Company; Mike Kotsis and John Kohl from Atlas Wholesale Food Co.; and Connie and Tom Morbach from Sanit-Air. Stay tuned as Gary meets with each company to assess their areas for improvement.

Adams Fellow Assists With Makeover

2007-08-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

Walsh College student and Novi resident Gary Phillips has been selected as an Adams Entrepreneurial Fellow, made possible by a grant from The Ann and Carman Adams Fund of The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. For the Fellowship, Gary will serve as a loaned executive to the companies selected in the makeover. He will have the opportunity to work alongside all of the sponsors as they conduct assessments at each of the companies. Once recommendations are accepted, Gary will act as a change agent to insure implementation.

Gary will work out of the offices of Mastermind Solutions in Lake Orion, one of the makeover sponsors. His mentor is Raymond Campbell, president of Mastermind Solutions and a Walsh alumnus.

The Adams Fellowship includes a full-time paid position as well as college credit. It was designed to develop the entrepreneurial skills of promising business students or alumni by matching them with local entrepreneurs. The Ann and Carman Adams Fund is a permanent endowment fund of The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

Gary is the fifth Walsh College student to receive the Adams Entrepreneurial Fellowship. Past recipients are Arthur Kelly, Alexander Schwallbach, Monica Smith, and Carrie Blamer.

NEXT BLOG: The selection process

2007 Extreme Small Business Makeover

2007-08-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is it! We're down to the final few decisions before announcing the winners of our very first Small Business Makeover. From the initial brainstorm about a year ago (thanks to Michele Hodges at the Troy Chamber of Commerce) through many changes and challenges, this project promises to be positively exceptional in its overall impact on small business.

Ten applications were submitted after the announcement at the Small Business Conference in May. The applications were reviewed by a Sponsor Advisory Panel and five companies were selected to submit additional data. Next, the panel visited all five companies and interviewed their principals. Now, the panel must make its final decisions and it won't be an easy task. Thanks to Sponsor Advisory Panel members Ursula Scroggs from DKSS, Frank Seyferth from Foster Swift and Mike Semanco from Hennessey Capital for spending the equivalent of two full days on the interviews.

These organizations are donating their expertise to the Makeover project:

Foster Swift Collins and Smith Attorneys: Five hours of legal consultation per business. Value: $2,500
Hennessey Capital: Financing analysis
Derderian, Kann, Seyferth & Salucci, P.C. 20 hours of professional consultation for each business to include a business, tax and financial systems overview, including a business benchmarking analysis. Estimated value is $3,500, but the impact may be priceless! Microsoft: Two networks (one per company) up to 10 workstations included. Value: $10,000
Mastermind Solutions: HR Audit. Value: $1,500
MAP Business Solutions/VerbalWise: One day productivity training session which includes techniques on improving communication with your team and implementing best practices in your business processes. Value: $6,500
The Alternative Board Metro Detroit: Two coaching sessions per month for eight months. Value: $8,000
UHY Advisors: Three consultants will perform a comprehensive financial and operational assessment with recommendations and 5 to 7 days of implementation assistance. Value: to $10,000
Western Creative: Marketing and brand advice. Value $1,500.

NEXT BLOG: The Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship will assist in making the makeover come true. More later - Jan