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Give it your all and grow through technology

Written by: Dana Zita

Article Overview: Advice For Startups - Give it your all. A lot of people start a business and will try to run it initially on a part-time basis. They also have a fall back job, just in case the business doesn’t develop. If you’re to succeed you have to commit to the project. You really have to put 100% into it. It may mean not having a steady stream of money coming in the door (in other words, being poor for the first few years as the business develops a client list). I don't think you can make a go of it if you only put some time into it rather than your full undivided attention. You have to give up everything else and put 100% into your company. You have to do it full time - sales, marketing, accounting and client servicing.

Give it your all and grow through technology

How aNd Logistix Was Founded - I had been in the industry for a while and kind of fell into it. While I was a student at the University of Toronto (St. Mike's campus), I wanted a fun summer job. I became a guide providing tours. I also worked part time for a company that did event management and helped them with their computers. In my final year of university, I produced a play at which the company President, for who is had been working part-time, attended. Impressed by the work I had put into creating the play, he asked me to work for them full time.

I worked for them for several years. I also started doing some freelance work to get used to dealing with decor, travel, catering, etc. One of the companies I had the opportunity to work for as a freelancer wanted to hire me to work on other projects. That was the push to start my own business. I started working with this one client and haven't looked back since.

Advice For Startups - Give it your all. A lot of people start a business and will try to run it initially on a part-time basis. They also have a fall back job, just in case the business doesn’t develop. If you’re to succeed you have to commit to the project. You really have to put 100% into it. It may mean not having a steady stream of money coming in the door (in other words, being poor for the first few years as the business develops a client list). I don't think you can make a go of it if you only put some time into it rather than your full undivided attention. You have to give up everything else and put 100% into your company. You have to do it full time - sales, marketing, accounting and client servicing. If you're really committed to what you envision for your company, you shouldn't have time to allow for a part time job. It's easier said than done, especially when you have bills to pay. But it's important to giving it your all..

The first 3 years weren’t easy. I give to give credit to those people who are able to start out of their home; cuts down on some of your start up costs. But sooner or later, you need to get an office; there are fewer distractions giving you the opportunity to concentrate on developing leads and developing your business As soon as you can have others join your team especially in a service or creative industry, the better. You can't do it without bouncing ideas off of each other. You can't generate ideas at the kitchen table or in front of the mirror.

Look for grants. I started off with a grant. Banks now cater to small, start-up companies and, in particular, women entrepreneurs. With the grant I was able to attend a course that helped me develop a business plan. The business plan was essential to dealing with the banks. That way, you have a foundation for your business and ensures you’re not spending money loosely. The banks are more willing to help if you have some of your own money invested in the venture. If you're putting in $15k to get another $15k, you're also going to be more serious about trying to make a go of it.

Once you have your business plan, you need to get out there and build the business. The first couple of years all I did was go to association meetings, hotel functions, etc. It did not get me direct business but it established me in the industry where if someone asked about me, I had that backing. I became known in the industry. I would help out with associations as a guest speaker or be on a volunteer committee to be able to get that support. I went to everything possible and did a lot of volunteer work. We worked a lot for charities and nonprofit sectors. I also did a bit of teaching at George Brown for a post graduate course. Now, because I have established our company as a credible and respected player in the conference and event planning industry, and have a list of great clients, I’m not as active as I once was. Almost 95% of our business today is straight referral. It's amazing how many of my former students now give me referrals as they have assumed event planning positions in various companies. Spending the time and the effort in those early years has definitively paid off in the end. .

It’s a big leap to take on staff. My best move was one of my first; I hired a good accountant. I recognized early on that I didn’t have the necessary skills to manage the books. So I went out and hired someone to do them for me. In doing so, I was able to concentrate my time and energy on developing the business. Our bookkeeper started out part-time, a few hours a week to start. Now she’s full time; and we couldn’t survive without her. She takes care of all the bookkeeping so we can focus on the business.

She kept an eye on the finances, paying the bills and managing the money flows. That way I could concentrate on the business. Of even greater importance for a small company is staying lean, having the right balance of staff to meet the business needs. Don’t be afraid to hire contract employees. We partner with other companies to fill our gaps. Bring them in as you need them. Best of all, you hire them for the expertise they bring to the table. Depending on our clients’ needs, we bring in the necessary experience we need on a contract basis who best can address those needs.

If you have to hire full time staff, be flexible. Sometimes that one person isn’t going to have everything you're looking for. Hire someone who may not have all the experience but can jump from one thing to another very quickly. But, be prepared to ut your losses . If they’re not working out after a three month trial, let them go. It's so harsh when I tell people that but it really makes no sense to keep people on if they're not working out for you or your clients. As important as it is to cut your losses, its equally important to keep good employees. Programs to ensure employee satisfaction are in place to keep our staff. Flexibility is equally important. In our company, we’re all women, some with young families, some with commutes into the office. Flex time and the ability to work from home from time to time is really important.. Having these programs in place does pay off in the end.

Grow the business through technology. Online registration for events was an unknown in our industry when we first started out. We've grown with today’s technology. And because of that, we really had to keep up with the constant changing pace of technology and its impact on our industry. It forced us to stay current with the latest trends and developments, and to keep our systems up to date. We were fortunate to grow up with it where other established companies have had a harder time making the change.

Its not easy to succeed in our industry. It's a low cost industry to enter so there is a lot of competition. Getting certifications and getting established within the industry were very important. We are not party planners but professional consultants in communications. What people like about us is that we're still small enough to know our clients by name and nimble enough to maintain the personal touch we have become known for. We’re still very. How many times have we heard from clients that in the middle of meetings, an issue has come up and the answer has been “let’s call Dana and the folks at AND, they’ll know”.

Align yourself with charities. The more you align yourself with charities the more you'll get noticed because they tend to get a little more press. Go for industry media and broad media. To get recognition you want to be in something more public but to get clients you want to be in the trade magazines.

Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself. You have to have that confidence level. I talk about my company and what we do to anyone willing to listen. It has to be a big part of who you are. At the start, no job was too small. We used to do a lot of things for a charity for a very low fee. That work eventually led to Shoppers Drug Mart becoming a major client for us. One thing led to another and they hired us on. The charity and association work was well worth it in the end.

Never stop learning and never stop reading. I don't think the skills I have now are any better than 10 or 15 years ago. But I do know a lot more and I do know a lot more people. Its that network of contacts that you build over time that pays dividends. Many years ago, we did an event at Sony Music where we needed a horse. A few weeks earlier, I had received a brochure about a company that offered horseback rides. Because I were able to get that horse at such a short notice, not only were we able to charge a premium for the horse but we also gained a reputation for making things happen. The more you read and the more you learn, the more opportunities open up for you. The more knowledge you have, the more you are able to offer your clients in meeting their needs. In the end, our success is about not only meeting our clients’ needs but exceeding them. Never stop learning!

Mistakes To Avoid - My biggest mistake is that everyone wants to grow grow grow - it's an ego thing. I wanted to be the biggest and the best. When I got older I started thinking about what makes me the most profit. I could have 5 employees or 10 employees but still end up making the same amount of profit. People want to get bigger and grow for the sake of growth. You need to ask yourself if doubling your employees is going to add that much more profit?

Don’t waste your time on award recognition. People spend a lot of time submitting proposals and going for awards as a morale boost. Unless there is concrete evidence that it will get you business, think about if you should do it. Think strategically about the recognition you go for. Don't spend your time unless it will benefit your business and you get a ROI from the time invested. Concentrate on what's best for your business. The business is not just about you but all the people behind you.

Don’t be afraid to give up control. I once thought I had to make all the decisions but I really don't. Giving up control is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. The employees I have now I trust them impeccably but that’s only a result of spending a lot of time with them, giving them insight as to what I think. It took a long time to get there. Our office is really small so you are very aware of what's going on and you can tell if someone is just putting in time. The longer you have staff with you, the more confident you can be in their abilities to make the right decisions.

If I Were To Start A New Business - One of the best things I like to read about is all those personal concierge services. There are so many people who just need help with their busy life from dog walking to picking up shirts to grocery shopping. It would be great to have these services done for you. At conferences with busy execs we really do end up being their personal assistants. The more people travel and are away from their home they want their same routine and have the same things they have at home. You could start a great business being a personal assistant or personal concierge. We've organized getting flowers for someone's wife. We're really their link to the outside world. We could do a business with just that! People just don't have time to do that now and want to save 1-2 hours to not do those chores and they will pay you to do it!

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