July 08 / Issue
3
Platinum Partner: Eastern Bank
Silver Partners:C.H.A.R.T Consulting
Elizabeth Pineault CPA
George Washington Toma
Professional Bookkeeping Services
Watch All Pest Management
Welch Health Care and Retirement
Group
July
Events &
Registration Links
Networking Lunches
Our regionally located luncheon events are developed to give you lots of opportunity to get connected on the South Shore. Enjoy great food, introductions from everyone attending and facilitated networking. Take the opportunity to increase your visibility to prospective clients and referral sources!
Hingham Lunch,
Rustic Kitchen at Derby Street Shoppes
Tuesday, July 8
11:45 – 1:30
Lunch Choice: Mixed Baby Green Salad w/grilled
chicken (salad) OR Grilled Vegetable & Mozzarella Panini (sandwich)
Plymouth Lunch
East Bay Grille, Plymouth Center
Wednesday, July 16
11:45 – 1:30
Lunch Choice: Grilled Salmon (fish)
OR Chicken Pasta Broccoli (chicken)
REGISTER NOW
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About the LawBy Barry Gordon,
Attorney at Law
Staffing a Business
Congratulations! The Business decision has been made. You have decided on what your successful venture will be. You have received your funding. The corporation has been formed. The location has been selected. The paint is dry and the lights are on. Advertising and marketing is in place.
One step remains: staffing! Of course if this is a one-person-does-all business, staffing is not a big problem. My forte is not Human Resources and I don't always know a good employee when I see one; but I do know that going with one's gut alone is not the best way to staff a business.
I recommend that you set aside a sum of money to have prospective employees
tested. There are companies, a good number of them actually represented
in the SSWBN, that have testing models that measure suitability for certain
jobs and compatibility as team players. This is an important part of
the hiring process. Once you listen to the experts and review the test
results, then look back at your gut choices and pick the team.
Once the team has been picked, offer them the best compensation you can afford
and make certain they are doing the best job they can do. Don't hesitate
to critique the performance of employees and make personnel changes when
necessary.
Maintain employee records and set up a uniform program and employee manual so your staff knows what is expected of them, and they can clearly see why they are advancing or why they have been disciplined.
Be very careful about discrimination. There are several state and
federal laws which may impact upon you depending upon how you treat your
employees. Take courses and talk with an employment attorney about
putting together an employment manual. An annual employment law check-up
is a good idea.
Your employees are your most important assets: don’t take them
for granted.
Barry Gordon is an attorney in Quincy, MA who is President of Gordon, Mond & Ott, P.C. A graduate of Northeastern University and Boston University School of Law, he represents families, businesses and financial institutions. His concentrations include real estate and business. Barry is a member of the Massachusetts Bar, the Florida Bar, SSWBN, the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and the Art and Business Council of Boston.
This column constitutes legal advertising, and as such provides information about the law designed to help users safely cope with their own legal needs. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation. |
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From the Director of Member Services – Rayna Minder
Working to help you make the most of your membership experience.
Golf Event – Big Success
On May 28th first-time golfers and those more experienced joined together for a Golfing for Business event held at Squirrel Run Golf Course in Plymouth. The afternoon was a great success thanks to the organizational efforts of Nadine Pfautz and Lisa Braun. Thirty members and friends of SSWBN learned a variety of chipping and putting techniques under the instruction of PGA Golf Pro Dave Moore. Mary Porter of Tee Time Magazine imparted her knowledge of basic golf rules and etiquette; and we finished the evening with drinks and appetizers.
As a follow-up to the Golfing for Business Workshop, and in anticipation
of the SSWBN Golf Outing on September 26th, a Beginners Golf League is being
formed. In a relaxed atmosphere, inexperienced and less seasoned golfers
will gather on Thursday nights at Pembroke Country Club for 9 holes of golf,
a lot of laughs, and opportunities for networking. Play once a week
or on an irregular basis, all for under $25 per person including the cart. We
welcome experienced golfers to participate as mentors and teachers.
If interested, contact network member Nadine Pfautz at
npfautz@chart-consulting.com, and
provide the best phone number at which to reach you.
Celebration 2008!!! – Leaders Elected and Leaders Recognized
If you were at Thursday morning’s Celebration 2008!! you know that it was in fact a true celebration. For those of you not able to attend, we want to announce our new Board of Directors and our Recognition Award winners.
New Board Members:
The following members have been elected to the SSWBN Board of Directors: Tom Burke, Smith Barney; Barbara Case, RBC Wealth Management; Patty Funder, LaserLight Skin Clinic; Janet LaBerge, Dirty Deeds; Donna Lucier MacPherson, South Shore Hospital, and Susan Peters, Mt. Vernon Mortgage. Congratulations and thank you for your willingness to serve the Network. These new members will work alongside existing Board members under the leadership of new president, Brenda Wornum Moore.
2008 Rising Stars:
Congratulations are also in order for those receiving the annual SSWBN Rising Star Award. This award is given each year to members who demonstrate their dedication to SSWBN by going above and beyond in promoting the Network’s mission of providing coaching, contacts and collaboration. This year’s recipients are: Lisa Braun, Plymouth County Business Magazine; Kristen Ford-Hernandez, Premiere Pros; Chris Jones, Premier Profit Recovery; Jennifer Kauffman, ActionCoach; and Cheryl Terrill, Atlantic Human Resource Advisors. Your dedication has been noticed -- congratulations!!
President’s Award:
Each year the Network President has the honor of bestowing an award to network member(s) for outstanding excellence. This year the award was given by President Raquel Mullaney to Tom Burke of Smith Barney and to Priscilla Chura of SMALL BIZ CFO. As Chairman of the Marketing Team and the Finance Team, respectively, Tom and Priscilla have dedicated countless hours and energy to the growth and maintenance of our Network. Congratulations on an award well deserved!
June Networking Novas:
Each month the SSWBN Membership Team recognizes a member(s) who exemplifies
the qualities of a Networking Nova – a person(s) who embodies the
Network’s core values of coaching, contacts and collaboration -- someone
who is visible at many SSWBN events and who treats others with respect and
dignity. In addition, this person(s) utilizes the Network to build his/her
business and helps others do the same.
Congratulations to our June Novas:
Chris Jones of Premier Profit Recovery http://premierprofits1.com/
George Weir of Weir Moving http://www.weirmoving.com/
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Movin' on up
By Jayne Pelosi
A slow month of happenings apparently; but none-the-less exciting for those featured:
ACME GLASS was recently profiled in the Member Spotlight column of the Hyannis Chamber of Commerce newsletter, "The Flagship," which is published in the Barnstable Patriot the last week of each month. The informative article about ACME GLASS included a photo of SSWBN member and Sales Manager Christy Kendrick, ACME GLASS owner Mike McCloskey, and George Frigon, Jr., Manager of the Hyannis store.
Jayne Pelosi of Renaissance Interior Design did a book signing at the Grand Opening of 358 Main on Route 6A Yarmouth Port on June 29th.
The breaking news this month is that as of June 26th (the date of the Celebration! Breakfast – how àpropos is that?) LaserLight Skin Clinic opened its second location – a full two years ahead of the business plan schedule, according to Owner/Operator Patty Funder. The new location is inside the Weymouth Club fitness center, and Patty acknowledges that “the whole deal came about because of the collaborative efforts of my SSWBN Business Team: Kristen Ford-Hernandez of Premiere Pros doing the Marketing, SmallBizCFO Priscilla Chura directing the financial management and planning (with excellent QuickBooks support from Carla Meola of Get Going Services), and ActionCoach Jennifer Kauffman providing the coaching to grow LaserLight.”
So, Network: send me your good news by the 16th of each month and share your success with the Network. It’s more than an opportunity to brag -- it’s also a way to have your company name advanced on the internet search engines. Enthusiasm for your work can be contagious -- let’s catch it!
Remember, if you do what you love, you will never work another day in your life! Happy Summer Solstice!
Jayne M. Pelosi
Renaissance Interior Design
From one time consultations to large project oversight, your space will reflect your personality,
not mine!
Www.RenaissanceInteriorDesign.com
jayne@renaissanceinteriordesign.com
781-588-5259
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Connections
By Kristen Ford Hernandez
Hello everyone,
I hope July turns out to be a very prosperous month for all of you and that you take some well-deserved vacation time this summer.
Our first Connection comes from Christy Kendrick with Acme Glass:
I was a "lurker" attending SSWBN events for several months as a non-member, trying to determine if this organization would be a good fit for me. Cheryl Arlanson Russo of Arlanson Russo Law Offices was one of the first members I made contact with, sitting next to her at a breakfast meeting. Soon after that, it turned out she needed her windshield replaced and in a limited time frame. It was holiday time and the weather was cold and snowy. She called ACME GLASS and we got her car and brought it back to the shop in order to get the installation accomplished correctly. At the next SSWBN after the holidays, Cheryl stood up and gave a testimonial for the service provided by ACME GLASS and related how accommodating our staff is. That's when I knew that the energy and support from members of SSWBN was EXACTLY what I wanted to be a part of. I joined in March and I am positive I made a smart decision. It is easy to tell potential members about SSWBN and why they should consider making that move… and I do that often. I would like to be part of the Membership Committee!
Jim Della Volpe from Growing Tree Partners would like to thank George Washington Toma Appliance in Weymouth for their helpful and excellent service. “We recently bought a new Electric Range from them. They were very knowledgeable, gave us a good deal, took away the old one, and installed the new one. There is absolutely NO HASSLE in dealing with them.”
To add my own personal connection, I would LOVE to thank Susan Peters with Mt. Vernon Mortgage for changing my financial life. Not so long ago, I was a single mom looking to make ends meet as best as I could. I got sucked into one of those refinancing nightmares that you are reading about today. I won’t bore you with the details, but the mortgage adjusted suddenly this past April, and the payment increased by $500 per month. Compounding the issue of refinancing, my recent marriage also made me a new business owner: it was not going to be an easy task for me to get “instant approval” on refinancing. I turned to my SSWBN contacts, called Susan Peters, and in the process of helping me tremendously, she provided advice that allowed me to increase my credit score by about 30 points! (A better credit score translates into lower interest rate qualification.) I have now closed on my new mortgage, and my new payment is even less than what it was before it adjusted! I cannot thank Susan enough... but I can - and I will - send all the business her way that presents itself to me!
As always, please remember to email your SSWBN Connections to me at Kristen@premierepros.com.
Have a wonderful and enjoyable month!
Kristen Ford-Hernandez
Premiere Pros
www.premierepros.com
TABLE OF CONTENTSEvent Calendar |
Networking Speaker Breakfast, Radisson Hotel, Rockland
Thursday, July 31
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Our speaker will be Martha Cotton, managing officer of Plymouth Rock Studios, working to bring the movie industry to Plymouth, Massachusetts. She will speak on “Realizing Your Dreams.”
Martha is also co-founder and director of content development at Good News Holdings; former producer for NBC Nightly News and the West Coast producer for “The Today Show;” executive producer on a project under 20th Century Fox’s faith-based initiative; and one of 12 Fellows in the inaugural Directors Guild of America Single Camera Directors’ Prep Program.
SAVE THE DATE
Friday, September 26th, 2008
SSWBN Annual Scramble Golf Outing
Shotgun start at 1 p.m.
Followed by Dinner
Squirrel Run Golf Course, Plymouth
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Doing What She Loves in a Unique and Underserved Niche:
the CFO/Controller for Small Business
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What are your name/position/title, and the name and location of your business?
I’m Priscilla Chura, founder of Small Biz CFO, a hands-on consulting practice I operate from my home in Hull, MA. I help small business owners get their financial house in order by providing CFO and Controller level services - How
did you come to be in this
line of work?
About 4 years ago, after voluntarily leaving a corporate CFO position, I just assumed I’d look for and get another similar job. But then in passing, someone mentioned the phrase, Interim CFO, and I was immediately intrigued. I did market research and found that, in spite of there being a huge need, the small business community was not being adequately served. So I decided to hang my shingle and see if I could make a go of it.
- What are the top three things that separate you from your
competition?First, in my 25 years of small business corporate
finance and operations experience, I’ve personally dealt with the
myriad of constraints that most small business owners experience. Second,
most CFO consultants have only big business experience, so they focus on
companies with annual revenues of $25 million and above. Finally,
I’m not only a
numbers person, I’m a people one too! I strongly believe in
training and mentoring clients.
- Describe your dream/perfect/best customer.
My ideal client is smart and business savvy. They want to get a better handle on their financials and need help with planning. They have a relatively complex business model with annual revenues typically ranging from $1 million to $5 million. They are located on the South Shore or within the greater Boston area.
- What changes are happening, or can you predict happening
soon, within your industry?
The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) regulation is a recent big one. While this was put in place (after Enron) to protect investors of large publicly held companies, many of its required financial processes are trickling down to smaller businesses. The requirements will impact any small business looking to get acquired by a public company, or one that intends to eventually go public. SOX is ultimately about implementing good financial business practices. Every business, regardless of size, can benefit from that.
- What do you regard as your greatest achievement in business
to date?
I always try to find ways to save clients’ money. For example, I noticed that one of my client’s Worker Compensation premiums seemed high. Upon investigation, I found that many employees were put into the wrong rate category. After analyzing and correcting this, I was able to get my client a $12,000 refund – as well as future savings of at least $8,000 a year!
- Where do you want you and your business to be in five
years?
My services are in such demand that the phone is ringing off the hook and I’m as busy with billable work as I want to be. Actually, I want to be doing exactly what I’m doing now, just doing more of it. And I’d love to be able to take a major trip or two a year.
- What benefit(s) have you received through your networking
efforts?
Networking is, and will always be, a major component of my marketing strategy. The main benefit, of course, is referrals. People will make referrals if they know, like and trust you. Through networking, I’ve gotten referrals, personally hired folks, and have comfortably made referrals. Networking works -- but it takes time.
- What is/are your one or two toughest challenges?
I never realized how much of an education process this would entail. Most small business owners have no idea what a CFO/Controller does. Many hate dealing with anything that is related to finance and accounting, so they will often leave it all to their bookkeeper and/or tax accountant. I find it mind-boggling that getting a good financial handle on the business is not higher up on every business owner’s priority list.
- What motivates you on a
day-to-day basis?
Like everybody else, I’ve got bills to pay. But, if it were only about money, I‘d go back and get a real job! Seriously, it’s mainly about the joy and satisfaction that I get from working with and helping clients within different industries -- it’s never boring. I feel this is what I’m meant to do: it’s my way of helping people.
- What is something that members may be surprised to
learn about you?
When I was in my twenties, I jumped out of an airplane 6 times. I’ve taken belly-dancing as well as kung-fu lessons – but not at the same time! I’ve read 12 or so books on feng-shui. I have a 15-year-old pet Senegal parrot that says, “Hi, mama; luv you.”
- What do you do in your spare
time for fun?
There is never enough spare time, but I love to garden, walk on the beach, paint with watercolors, go canoeing, cook, read novels, travel, decorate, shop for bargains, collect pottery. I love going to the ballet, symphony and theatre. The list goes on and on.
- How can a business owner determine if and when they need
a CFO/Controller?
Good question. I invite you to go to the FAQ section of my web site, www.smallbizcfo.com, where I’ve cited numerous examples.
Priscilla Chura can be reached at 781-925-2949 or chura@smallbizcfo.com.
If you wish to see your business as the Featured Business of
the month, please contact Katie Howard, Director of Sales,
at 781-749-8883, or Email Katie at sales@sswbn.org.
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From the Director of Business Development - Katie Howard
Working with member businesses to provide Sponsorship and Partnership
opportunities to increase the visibility, credibility, and the public image
of your business, while contributing to the impact SSWBN has in the area
business community.
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Greetings!
Let’s learn from one of SSWBN’s Partners!
Partnering with SSWBN offers businesses the opportunity to share ideas
and suggestions in a Partner Piece. This month’s Partner
Piece comes from Silver Partner Elizabeth Pineault of Elizabeth
Pineault, CPA.
Get to know your accountant and have your accountant get to know you and your business!
About January 5th of each year you receive the tax organizer in the mail, cringe and think, “Now I have to go and see my accountant.” This comes almost as welcome as a trip to the dentist. For many, the annual trip to see their accountant represents a very anxious event. One of the reasons is that the only time that many individuals and businesses revisit their financial numbers is at tax time. It is no wonder it is anxiety provoking. You may even find out that you owe taxes because your business actually did better than the year before. How terrible is that?!
We (your accountants) meet with many businesses during the year and help them to be more profitable by analyzing the numbers and making suggestions to grow the revenue and profits. We can help with proactive tax planning if we are privy to the information before December 31st of that year.
Now here is my point; I suggest that all of you call your accountants and offer to take them out to breakfast or lunch. You pay for the meal and you get to pick their brains. It is a win/win situation. It also will give you an incentive to get those numbers in shape before you meet and establish a benchmark for the year. It will force you to do some periodic planning, and I can assure you that as a result, the next spring will not be so terrible. Your accountants will have a lot of questions for you and a lot of answers as well. They are great resources for you.
In closing, I will offer this reminder: you can’t get there if you do not know where you are going!
Pineault, CPA
We bring order and value to your business!
781 834-0400
epineault@pineaultcpa.com
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On an everyday basis, the Network thanks all of its Partners!
Platinum Partner:
Eastern Bank– Providing investment, lending and other financial products to small businesses and individuals.
Silver Partners:
Welch Healthcare & Retirement Group -
Assisted Living Community/Skilled Care Center/Adult Day Center Senior
Residential Care Community.
Watch All Pest Management - Integrated Pest Management limiting the use of pesticides to effectively control pests.
Elizabeth Pineault, CPA – A full service CPA firm offering tax and compliance services to individuals and corporations.
George Washington Toma - 100% customer satisfaction on appliances – locally!
Professional Bookkeeping Services – Offering bookkeeping services.
C.H.A.R.T. Consulting - Conducting Human resource Assessments
and
Recommending & Taking appropriate action.
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Thank you also to our June event sponsors:
JGE Awards & Promotions and South Shore Hospital
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For more information on Network opportunities to expose your business, Contact
Katie Howard, sales@sswbn.org or at the
Network Office: 781-749-8883.
Katie Howard
Director of Business Development
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JULY NEW MEMBERSPersonal Development Fitness Gifts Real Estate Retail Computer Services Health and Wellness Health and Wellness Landscaping & Paving Financial Services For full details on new members, go to the new
member page of the website. |
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The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by
going beyond them into the impossible.
-- Arthur C. Clarke