Success stories from
Business Group members
Read the stories of some of our members who have made important changes with the help of their group.
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“As we’ve grown, I’ve learned to bring in top quality managers and let them take the load off me.” More > |
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“I have improved my infrastructure, turned over operations management to my staff, and become the CEO I was intended to be.” More > |
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Yoshi Tome, Owner - Sushi Ranan |
Kathryn Maxwell, CEO Maxwell Money Mgmt . |
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“It was a revelation! ...remarkable to see on paper what I needed to do.” More > |
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“Not only did I adjust my fees with new clients, but none of my current client base questioned these new fees or left for a competitor.” More > | |||||
David Frank, Owner - Indigo Films |
Vicki Suiter-Mcnickle, Suiter Financial Systems |
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... more of the Success Stories
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“In the restaurant business, the norm is for the owner to work all the time. I was doing just that –eighty hours a week. I was worried that my kids wouldn’t know me,” says Yoshi Tome. “I joined The Business Group in mid 1996 to help me break out of this management mentality. It has paid off for me. Even as my business has doubled in revenue and employees, I have cut my hours back by a third. I don’t know if I could have achieved this without the accountability I feel towards my Business Group and our meetings.” |
His restaurant, Sushi Ran, is rated the #1 restaurant in Marin County and the #1 restaurant for Asian cuisine in the Bay Area and Northern California by Zagat. Newsweek Magazine reported that Sushi Ran is one of the best Sushi restaurants in California. It draws people from all over, while retaining its loyal Sausalito customer base. Its reputation is based on ambiance as much as sushi. The downtown Sausalito location certainly helps support the draw to the restaurant.
“If I didn’t get out of the office for these monthly meetings, I would lose sight of the bigger picture. I get so caught up in day-to-day operations, and I can’t share my problems with my employees. The group is like a monthly check up and tune up for me. One I’ve depended on for 10 years.”
Kathryn Maxwell, CEO - Maxwell Money Management My business, Maxwell Money Management, provides bill-paying and day-to-day money management for busy professionals. The business is 23 years old. When I met Mike Van Horn and The Business Group, the company had gone as far as it could as a mom and pop business. |
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I was looking for a group of peers who were grappling with issues similar to ours so that I could get on a new growth track, motivate my employees and improve my business operations. With the support of Mike and my group, I feel I have accomplished more in this time with The Business Group than in my prior 21 years in business. In addition to my monthly meetings, I also have taken advantage of the annual Success Planning workshop at the end of each year. The monthly meetings and the annual planning workshop keep me focused on what I needed to do. I have improved my infrastructure, turned over operations management to my staff, and become the CEO I was intended to be.
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David Frank, Owner - Indigo Films David Frank is an Emmy winning producer, owner and President of Indigo Films, and has been a Business Group member since 2000. David learned about The Business Group and Mike Van Horn after hearing Mike speak at a women's networking function, where David said he "felt a bit out of place." However, since joining The Business Group, David has learned how to run and grow Indigo Films to the success it is today. |
David admits he knew hardly anything about how to run a business, but he knew he was good at his job and that he could get work. "Before I joined The Business Group I barely knew how to read a P & L," David said. "I didn't know the difference between accounts receivable and accounts payable." David had owned Indigo Films for three years before he went to the annual planning workshop in 2000. When David left the full-day workshop, he had his first ever business plan. David said, "It was a revelation! I learned how many shows I needed to create and pitch, how many times I had to travel to New York for business. It was remarkable to see on paper what I needed to do. And most importantly, it was full of action items that I could follow and check off. I suddenly had the plan and guidance I needed. And it forced me to be accountable."
Business Group member's are committed to their group, many have been members for 10 years. One of the many reasons David is committed to The Business Group is that "it's a development/planning meeting for me. It gets me out of the office and forces me to focus on schedules and budget. It feels really good when my company is on time and under budget!"
Vicki Suiter founded Suiter Financial Systems in 1990 to help construction companies take their business to the next level by establishing solid financial foundations and operational systems that result in strong growth.
Vicki gets rave reviews from her customers for her sound financial and management advice. "The construction field is where I found my niche. There I offer and deliver a superior much-indemand service. My monthly Business Group meeting is a driving force in keeping me focused on my services and how I promote myself to customers and to the many professional organizations I speak to.
"The biggest guidance and support I have received from my Business Group to date is the encouragement I needed in raising my hourly rates," says Vicki. "Based on direct client feedback, it is clear that I provide quality services with proven results. In fact, my current client base has turned into my most consistent source for new clients, direct referrals. In growing new clients I needed to better communicate what I do and how much it is worth. The support of The Business Group in our monthly meetings has given me the confidence, encouragement and support in all. Not only did I raise my rates with my new clients, none of my current client base questioned my new rates or left for a competitor."
Mike Van Horn, President, The Business Group © 2009