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Buying franchise makes sense in some situations
Todd Blanchard, 35, of Shreveport, La., was earning more than $100,000 a year as vice president of operations for a trucking academy, but he thought he could do better. “I had all the headache and not enough reward,” he said. So he looked at his options. His wife, Mary, wanted to return to work because […]
Speaking the language of fashion
A keen eye for fashion coupled with a desire to cater to Rochester’s yen for designer shoes and handbags prompted Ruth Ryan to start her own business. Chaussures-“shoes” in French-opened 30 years ago on Monroe Avenue and has been adding different products to the store ever since. Today Ryan’s store carries items ranging from hair […]
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SMALL-BUSINESS BOOKSHELF: You’ve got an event in a week-a wedding, a job interview, a barbecue-and you don’t know how to dress. Answers can be found in “What Should I Wear: Dressing for Occasions” (Knopf, $30) by Kim Johnson Gross, Linda Griffin and Jeff Stone. The book, part of the Chic Simple series, shows both men […]
Listening neglected yet essential part of process
Have you ever had a course in listening skills? Listening is arguably the most important aspect of the selling process, yet it’s usually the weakest part of a sales professional’s skills. We listen to TV, radio and CDs-and we can recite chapter and verse the next day, or sing the songs word for word. But […]
Shaping parts into a whole enterprise
The bronze head was on a pedestal at one end of the studio, two arms were draped over a workbench and the torso was propped up in the room’s center. There were 11 body parts in all and they were just days from being welded together, filed and shined to form Dexter Benedict’s latest masterpiece. […]
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ENTREPRENEURIAL EXAMPLES: The Rochester Engineering Society will present a seminar titled “Launching and Managing a New Business” on April 2 and 9. It will include presentations by three entrepreneurs who started their own businesses. The program will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Rochester Engineer’s Center, 1806 Lyell Ave. The cost is […]
All family-owned firms have unique difficulties
Fretful family-business owners spend millions of dollars on books, seminars and outside consultants, but it’s impossible to find a one-size-fits-all solution when every family is different. Still, I’ve met the owner-managers of two prosperous family businesses and they created unique strategies that may help you sleep better at night. One 60-year-old seafood company[...]
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STARTING SMALL: On Monday evenings, April 2 through April 30, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Service Corps of Retired Executives Chapter 23 and Rush-Henrietta Central School District will present a course called “Starting and Operating Your Own Business.” It will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Rush-Henrietta High School, 2000 Lehigh Station […]
Outfitting expectant mothers with style
When Fairport’s Polly Hendricks was pregnant with her now 1-year-old son, she could not find anything to wear in Rochester. “Like every other woman here, I said ‘There’re no maternity clothes in Rochester.'” Mall merchandise for pregnant women “isn’t upscale enough,” she says. No local maternity boutiques offered designer lines; i[...]
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DETAILS OF BEING A BOSS: On March 20, the SUNY College at Brockport’s Small Business Development Center will present a workshop for small-business owners called “Employers Workshop.” The seminar will cover withholding, record keeping and reporting requirements. It takes place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Rush-Henrietta Senior High School, 1799 Lehigh Station Road, Henrietta. […]
Memorable service wins ongoing word-of-mouth
“Hi, my name is Kim Waggy. I’m the concierge at the Broadview Hotel (in Wichita, Kan.). You’ll be staying with us on the 15th and 16th of October, and I’m calling to see if you need anything special.” Oh my God. Total shock. Five hundred hotel stays over the previous three years and this was […]
Making the training fit the message
“You can go to Kmart and buy a pre-made set of plastic shelves, or you can go to a cabinet maker and get something custom-made for your space,” says corporate trainer Kathleen Washington. She likes to think of the firm she heads, Thalia Productions, as the corporate-training equivalent of a cabinet maker. A former music […]
