PPB November 2017

FEATURE | How Independent Distributors Thrive more to do with the end game than a daily checklist. “I can only speak for myself, but the commitment to business is all day long until I consciously shut it off. I don’t know if it’s this way for everyone—and I think you can be successful in your own right by putting in as much or as little time as you want. It’s all about what you are going after,” Zeman says. TimHennessy, Sr., takes the same approach. The president and CEO of Concepts & Associates in Birmingham, Alabama, says he tells people, “I work half-days: 6 am to 6 pm. The job is ongoing, and you have to be on top of every aspect of your business, until such time as you are able to afford to hire people to do some of the jobs you performed in your early years.” Lev Promotions owner Rama Beerfas, MAS, who is based in San Diego, California, acknowledges that the amount of time devoted to such business tasks is entirely up to the individual business owner. “[For her,] Clients and prospects always come first. The back-office tasks can be done after business hours or during slower periods,” she says. “It’s a question of prioritizing the revenue-generating tasks over the business maintenance tasks.” Sharing The Load To ensure she can devote as much of her time as possible to developing client relationships, Zeman has learned to delegate tasks. “The process of letting go of a department in your company for someone else to manage is very interesting to me, because it takes a toll on you—mentally, emotionally and sometimes physically, if you aren’t self aware,” she says. To determine what she can delegate, Zeman says she creates a list that identifies gaps in processes, struggles her employees are facing, and things that she herself doesn’t like doing, “until I can identify a new position in the company. I get everyone’s buy-in, and then I start the hiring process.” When a new position can’t be created but help is still crucial, Zeman relies on contractors who can pick up work in areas such as design and marketing. Delegation is also critical for Amy Mallet, MAS, who, as president of Amsley Promotions in Neptune, New Jersey, relies on her team to help carry out day-to-day functions. “We have delegated responsibilities, which frees me up to take care of our clients,” says Mallet, who keeps herself available for her team to address any questions that may come up. “We have an organized system for follow-through of all active orders, which streamlines the process.” Kerri Gorman, vice president of Dallas, Texas-based Gorman Foy, Inc., says she and her business partner, President Karen Foy, managed back-office and administrative roles themselves when they were just starting out, but since then, they have been able to hire part-time employees. “This allows us more time for client relationships,” Gorman says. Reaching Out Even after delegation has been implemented, some distributors find they need additional support—which is where outsourcing can be a valuable tool. “The biggest challenge for a distributor is maximizing the 24-hour day from a profitability standpoint,” says Cliff Quicksell, MAS+. Quicksell, an industry veteran, operated as both an independent distributor and as a member of an affiliate company before becoming a consultant for distributors who work with an affiliate company. “I’m a big fan of outsourcing—any independent distributor should look at how to build a stable of people to whom they can outsource processes,” he says. Janie Gaunce, president and CEO of Grapevine Designs in Lenexa, Kansas, agrees. “A few years ago, I realized that as an independent distributor, I wanted the best tools available to meet our clients’ needs,” she says. “After doing some soul-searching and industry evaluation, I found a business services provider for promotional marketing companies. “Our goals were very similar,” she explains. “Grapevine’s creative strengths were important to them, and their back- end operations were important to me, so it became a valuable partnership for both sides. The support allows me to concentrate on what I enjoy—working with our sales teams and clients and creating solutions to help their businesses grow.” But, says Beerfas, there are some tasks she would not outsource. “Personally,” she says, “I probably wouldn’t outsource product research to anyone else, since I know my clients’ needs and tastes—that wouldn’t be easily communicated to someone who is just a product researcher.” Staying Afloat Financially The old saying, “You’ve got to spend money to make money,” may have a kernel of truth to it, but finding the money to fund business operations is one of the independent distributor’s greatest challenges, especially when just starting out. “In the early years, you had 56 | NOVEMBER 2017 |