Small Businesses Step Into Spotlight

These seven small businesses were named regional finalists for the U.S. Chamber’s Dream Big: Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam’s Club®. One of them will receive the award during America’s Small Business Summit 2010 in Washington, D.C., May 17—19. The award recognizes a company for demonstrating exemplary business practices in the areas of staff training and motivation, community involvement, customer service, and business and financial planning.
For more information, go to www.uschambersummit.com.

EASTERN

Wolfe Laboratories, Inc.
Watertown, Massachusetts
A research and development company offering services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

What is the most significant challenge your business has faced, and how did you respond?

President and Founder Janet Wolfe: “Starting out, it was demonstrating credibility. I was young, I had an idea, but I didn’t have a name. So I was able to start out working with interns out of the Northeastern [University] intern program—very motivated, young college kids who wanted to learn and make a contribution to medical development. It snowballed over time, and I was able to establish credibility with a few companies, and word of mouth spreads rapidly.”

What is the greatest impediment to growing your business?

“Access to capital. Obviously, the economy has hindered everyone’s efforts to grow, and that has particularly hit the small business community, where access to credit is very limited. We have really focused on keeping our capabilities intact and keeping our team, but we need more access to capital so that as we come out of this recession we can take off.”

If the working day was one hour longer, how would you spend it?

“I’d spend more time with our clients. They are the people who are developing medicines for all different diseases. I want to understand what their challenges and issues are so that we can better help them solve those challenges.”

MIDWEST

ORBIT Systems Inc.
Eagan, Minnesota
IT support firm for small and medium-size businesses.

What is the most important piece of advice you would give to other business owners?

President Steve McFarland: “Focus. First, start your company with as little money as possible, because it’s definitely going to get you focused on what’s most important to you. Second, reach out to your networks and find people in areas that are not part of your core business. There are a lot of people who can help you with those things [like HR, legal, accounting]. You need to reach out and find people who can help you in those areas so that you can focus on what you’re passionate about.”

If the working day was one hour longer, how would you spend it?

“Besides having lunch? There’s not enough time in the day sometimes to just sit down and have quality time with my employees and get feedback from them on what’s important to them. And I’d like to spend more time with our clients. I love to learn about their businesses and be the person outside of the forest looking in.”

Which three words describe your company’s culture?

“Service, passion, and integrity. We ask ourselves questions as we go throughout the day. Would I be happy with the experience I just created? Am I doing the right thing? Am I doing what I love to do?”

SOUTHEAST

Fintech
Tampa, Florida
Invoice, payment, and data services for alcohol distributors and retailers.

What is the most significant challenge your business has faced, and how did you respond?

CEO Scott Riley: “We had to go to the legislative body of each state to get approval to do what we do. Having to go to each one and communicate clearly, and getting them to approve our payment method versus the standard methods they’ve been using since Prohibition—that’s a very tedious and expensive process.”

What makes your business unique?

“From a business practice, it’s the niche. We’re the only ones who do what we do, and we designed that specifically. The other thing unique is that our people are all partners. I put a certain percentage of the profit aside, and everybody participates in that, from the receptionist to CIO Clark Huang, who’s helped me build the company. It’s critical that everybody’s part of the total picture.”

What is the biggest impediment to growing your business?

“Just culture. Remember the first time your employer said it was going to deposit your check electronically, instead of handing you a paper check? Or the first time you saw an ATM card or heard about online banking? It’s a matter of people being used to doing business the ways they’ve been doing it for a long time. You have to convince them that this is the best way to do business. It’s a matter of changing a culture.”

SOUTHWEST

Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates
Wichita, Kansas
Maker of handcrafted chocolates free of processed ingredients or preservatives.

What is the most important advice you would give to other business owners?

Owner and Master Chocolatier Beth Tully: “I got some great advice when I was in the business planning phase—identify early what you do well and find people to do the things that you don’t do well. For me, that was making sure I had a great accountant, a good bookkeeper, and a lawyer. Another piece of advice—figure you’re going to work hard and then multiply that by 100%.”

What makes your business unique?

“I promised that if I had the opportunity to grow a business and get it off the ground that I would create a culture and would assist with making an environment that first of all was empowering. So empowering all of these young people to do what they love to do and to have fun [makes us special]. We work together to solve problems, and I think that’s liberating.”

What is the most significant challenge your business has faced, and how did you respond?

“Cocoa Dolce has had an amazing trajectory. We’re just a little over four years old, and our biggest challenge as a business has been learning to manage growth. Every year, we’ve had to retool, restyle, expand. All of those are challenges that were costly from a human energy perspective and a dollar perspective.”

GREAT LAKES

Quality Float Works Inc.
Schaumburg, Illinois
Manufacturer of hollow float metal balls and float assemblies.

What is the most significant challenge your business has faced, and how did you respond?

President and Design Engineer Sandra Westlund-Deenihan: “My father and grandfather had a motto—“Do one thing and do it well,” and they just focused on one product line. We found that in order to survive in today’s world, you cannot maintain that 1960s mentality. That was a lesson learned.”

What is the biggest impediment to growing your business?

Vice President and General Manager Jason Speers: “A lot of regulation at the state and federal levels. We’re just trying to educate lawmakers on what happens in our day-to-day business and making sure they understand the impact certain laws can have on small companies and how it affects their bottom line. We’re constantly reaching out to our lawmakers, giving them tours and saying, “Here is what we do, here is how you can help us, and here’s what would hurt us.’ “

What is the most important advice you would give to other business owners?

Westlund-Deenihan: “Being able to walk out that door and still have a family life and being able to separate that.”
Speers: “Make sure you have a very understanding spouse, because you take a lot of it home with you and you deal with it all the time, both as a family business and as a small business.”

NORTHWEST

Meier Architecture • Engineering
Kennewick, Washington
Full-service architectural and engineering consulting firm.

What makes your business unique?

President Steve Anderson: “We’re employee-owned, and we have devoted staff who understand and participate in our culture. Our employees really like that they are given opportunities to grow and do as much as they can handle. They feel that they own something, and that’s important to what they do and how it’s valued. Our strong relationships with clients and business partners, coupled with utilizing the latest technologies, help us stand apart from others.”

What is the most significant challenge your business has faced, and how did you respond?

“Finding the right people who fit our culture, have the technical expertise to help us develop our services, and who want to be independently recognized as leaders in their own right. We try to bring them in to spend time with our leadership and other employees to give them a sense of who they will be working with. We’re very selective, but we’ve been fortunate with our selections. Recruit hard and manage soft. If you recruit hard, hopefully those people get it, and there will be less to be concerned about in terms of managing.”

Which three words describe your company’s culture?

“Quality, availability, and caring. We’re a caring group. We listen to our clients. They come back because of our quality and responsiveness.”

WESTERN

AArrow Advertising
San Diego, California
Franchise company that provides outdoor advertising to businesses internationally.

What is the most significant challenge your business has faced, and how did you respond?

President and CEO Max Durovic: “Definitely age. Starting out at 18, a lot of people don’t take you seriously, especially when your product is sign spinning. People had to learn to trust us, and that only happens over time. Many relationships we’ve been building with advertisers and community members have taken almost a decade to build. Limited capital is another challenge. Starting out with no outside financing is tough, as every cent of profit has to be reinvested in the business. Some of us worked for pennies for years.”

Which three words describe your company’s culture?

“I can do it in just two: Everybody spins. What’s differentiated us is the spinning. The reason people remember our company is because it’s so unique. The reason young people like this job is because it’s fun. The reason we get a lot of free media coverage is because it’s a pleasure to watch. Without the sign spinning, we’re just another flier-passer-outer, or promotional company.”

If the working day was one hour longer, how would you spend it?

“Spinning signs. In my driveway, out on a busy corner—I need more practice. These guys are getting better every day, and my tricks are getting a little stale.”