Oct 2017
Last month, I was flattered to see that my coworker Sarah had mentioned me in her blog post addressing the “15 Minute Technique,” wherein a person devotes several small blocks of just 15 minutes a day to focus on big-picture projects and initiatives. This had originally come up as part of a conversation over lunch… Read More
Sep 2017
Bringing value to your customers should always be the focus of your business and is usually one of the top reasons why your customer returns. Value can mean different things to different people. In the dictionary three definitions of value include the following: “The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or… Read More
Sep 2017
When we first started franchising Proforma in the late 1980s, most people in our industry scoffed at our business model. So, we reached out to people outside our industry to start building our franchise concept. In the late 1980s, there was no internet! So we relied on advertising in business publications and attending “own your… Read More
Sep 2017
In my last blog post I discussed my new found interest with this idea of minimalism. It all sparked from the documentary, “Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things” and I’ve been trying to re-condition myself to live a life where having “less” is more comfortable than having “more.” Since my last blog post about… Read More
Sep 2017
I am very involved in the community and am a member of a number of organizations. For me, it’s a great way to stay connected. I had two different groups recently host combination-type trade shows and networking events. I exhibited at one and attended the other. It really got me to thinking, what’s the best… Read More
Sep 2017
I started Proforma in 1978, just one year after graduating from college, in my Cleveland apartment with a $200 investment in a phone answering machine, stationery and a used file cabinet. We grew nicely in those early years. By 1984, we had grown to about $4 million in the Cleveland area. I decided it was… Read More
Sep 2017
“It’s not what you say, but how you say it” – a message I’ve addressed several times in the past in a handful of different ways. The way that a message is communicated, the very method of delivery itself, carries equal (oftentimes even greater) value than the words themselves. And, let’s be honest: while the… Read More
Sep 2017
I am what you would call a side-project junky. I work a day job and then I come home to work on a passion project. However, finding time after a day job to dedicate time to work can be difficult when I also manage an ever-changing schedule. I shared my problem with my coworker, Perry… Read More
Sep 2017
In my last blog article, I recalled a story from the early days of Proforma, and how a client’s request for 12 spiral rings led to earning a million-dollar customer with 50 percent gross profit. Here’s a story of another million dollar win. Back in those early years building Proforma, my practice was to get up… Read More
Sep 2017
“The customer is always right.” Many read into this popular phrase as an understanding to always say yes to their customers’ requests but they couldn’t be any more wrong. You do not need to do everything they say to make them happy in the end. It’s important to say no to your customers so that… Read More
