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By JOYCE SMITH Thu, Apr. 24, 2003 The Kansas City Star Top small businesses share tips for success
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's top 10 small businesses of the year shared some of their tips for
success Wednesday at the annual small-business breakfast.
The event was held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center hotel. The businesses, announced March 31, will also be recognized at an annual luncheon May 9. Several business owners said that although they want to earn money and do high-quality work, they also want their employees to have fun. Datacore Marketing Inc., a Kansas City full-service database marketing company, even has a social committee. The group brings structure to the idea of how employees have fun as a company, such as conducting a fund-raiser for a charity. "Let's have fun, but let's have fun with a purpose," said Jeff Yowell, president of Datacore. Jo Anne Gabbert, president of Adams-Gabbert & Associates Inc., a Lee's Summit-based management consultant company, wants employees to have a balance between their professional and personal lives. The company has hosted events ranging from bowling nights to a visit to a culinary institute, where employees built cakes around the values and missions of the company. "It allows them to get to know one another," Gabbert said. The company also gives employees time off to do volunteer work. The entrepreneurs all said they have to compete with companies that are much larger. The small-business advantage is that they can react to the market more quickly and their clients are talking directly to the decision makers. Riverside Red-X, a 90,000-square-foot discount center, competes with companies like Wal-Mart by offering strong benefits to employees. That effort has lowered turnover 40 percent in recent years. Clark Thompson, president of Larkin Group Inc., a Kansas City multidisciplined engineering firm that often works with city governments, said long-term relationships are key. "It's taken six or seven years to get a first job from a city," Thompson said. "You get to know people, stop by, and eventually we get a chance. Trust is a big issue, and that comes with familiarity." Yowell, of Datacore, said his sales efforts would be more focused if he were just starting out. The company initially went after every prospect, but now focuses on industries where it has expertise, or businesses with similar case histories. "Our investments decrease and our return increases," Yowell said. However, Gabbert, of Adams-Gabbert, said that while her company has grown with telecommunications and utility clients, she wishes she had broadened her market sooner. "We're just now starting to break out of telecom and utilities," Gabbert said. "It allows us to grow our revenue base and allows our associates to learn new skills and gain knowledge on a new industry." She also sought advice from other entrepreneurs and business groups, including the chamber. "You need to hire great people, dedicated," Gabbert said. "And find a great lawyer, great accountant and great banker who will advise you. I don't know it all and I'm not afraid to ask." Joe Roetheli, general manager of S&M NuTec LLC, a North Kansas City developer, manufacturer and marketer of edible pet products, said he had given two companies exclusive rights to market the product worldwide. He was thankful he had put performance clauses into the contract because they sold only $800 worth of product in 30 months. Kevin Murphy, president of HRS/Erase Inc., a hospital patient advocacy company based in Independence, said he looks at the pictures of his wife and children every day and then looks at his checkbook. That motivates him to grow the business. Murphy drew laughter with simple advice that some entrepreneurs don't heed. "You need to keep revenues higher than costs," Murphy said. To reach Joyce Smith, call (816) 234-7750 or send e-mail to jsmith@kcstar.com. Best businesses Selected by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as the top 10 small businesses:
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