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Charter member John Foote reflects on how RPCN helps its members
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Interview by David Powe, write-up by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
 Charter RPCN member John Foote recalls the organization’s early days with affection. “In forming RPCN, we did meet in homes, and I happened to be at the one where the first set of officers was being worked out,” he said. “I think some of the early people all wanted to be president, and the decision of who would be on the first slate became very contentious. My recollection is that most of the ‘chief wanna-bes’ who didn’t get to be officers dropped out early thereafter.”
According to Foote, Roger Vickery, who eventually served as president, “worked extremely hard on behalf of the organization. Our early speakers included leaders from many local businesses, government units and educational organizations. Roger was a class act.”
Nowadays, Foote works as an Enrolled Agent, preparing taxes and representing clients before state and federal tax agencies. His consulting business, Expert Tax Group and Accounting Specialist, stopped accepting new clients a few years ago.
In Foote’s eyes, RPCN served two primary functions: giving businesses access to skilled consultants and giving consultants a resource for growth and information. One of his own presentations was a great example of how the organization focused on helping its members while giving them visibility for their own skills and services.
“At the time, I had just begun to prepare taxes, and the organization asked me to give a tax update early in 1990, at one of our first meetings. That talk became the Annual Tax Update Seminar. Over the years, several members have become clients – and these professionals have served as a solid base for the business,” he said.
To read the rest of the article, including his advice on how to be a successful consultant, visit this page on the RPCN website.
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Let RPCN be your business “water cooler”
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By Dave Bassett, RPCN President
I hope all of you are managing to cope with this glorious ($%#%#$) winter weather we’ve been experiencing for the past month or so. Between bouts of plowing the driveway, being trapped indoors has allowed for time for reflection and planning. One item I’ve had a chance to reflect on is how valuable RPCN has been to me and my business.
I started attending RPCN meetings back around 2008. I’d started my solo practice a little before that time, but was still pretty new at owning and running my own business, and had been told that RPCN was a good resource for consultants. It turned out that what I’d heard was correct.
The RPCN forums gave me a lot of good ideas for running my business – from the equipment I use (pretty much all the “back office” I use in my business came through RPCN: the fax service, backup/disaster recovery software, voice recorder, scanner, and my business laptop were all recommended by RPCN members) to ways to set up alliances with others that have complementary services to help me win contracts that I wouldn’t have been able to get on my own, and many items in between (too numerous to mention). I’ve received a lot of good advice from other RPCN members.
I’ve had (and still have) RPCN members as clients and have had RPCN members refer clients to me. I’ve used (and still use) RPCN members as vendors and have clients that have used services of RPCN members. Though there’s never been a requirement that RPCN members refer business to other members, I’ve been very fortunate to work with and for RPCN members. These opportunities came through getting to know what skills other members have through forums, workshops and presentations, and from other members getting to know my skill set in a similar manner. We’ve developed a trust and comfort level that has been very beneficial.
I’ve developed friendships with several members and am very grateful for those opportunities as well. Because I work from a one-man office, I’ve missed that “water cooler” found in corporate America. RPCN in many ways has also been that water cooler.
On the planning side of things, while we are implementing the current strategic plan, we’re getting ready to put together the refinements to the plan for the coming year and you’ll be seeing a survey coming through in the near future. The goal of the survey is to get a feel for the direction the membership would like to see us pursue in the long term.
We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from the membership with past surveys – the one in 2013 was used as a basis for the current RPCN strategic plan. Responses from strategy sessions this past summer (boy, this recent weather makes that seem like it was years ago) were instrumental in coming up with the current implementation plans. We are hoping to get a significant response from RPCN members to this upcoming survey.
Thanks again for all you do to keep RPCN strong, relevant and useful; and thank you for letting me and our leadership team run this fine organization. Keep warm, and we’ll have another update next month.
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Build your solid foundation for growth at RPCN’s Small Business Success Conference
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By Dave Bassett
 RPCN’s full-day Small Business Success Conference – to be held on Tuesday, April 7 at MCC – will be the event of the season. We have lined up an excellent keynote speaker: Dr. Bruce Katcher, founder and Executive Director of The Center for Independent Consulting and author of An Insider’s Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice.
The conference will focus on ways and tools to grow and expand your small/consulting business. We’ll have many interesting and helpful topics in three tracks: business fundamentals, marketing and selling, and business building. Whether you are well seasoned or just starting out, we’ll have something for you. Click here to view the full day’s schedule, along with descriptions of all of the workshops.
Registration for the conference is now open at www.RPCNConference.com. Early bird registration price for RPCN members is only $109; it is $149 for non-members. Rates will go up to $139 and $179 respectively after March 13, so sign up now and save some money. If you sign up for the conference by March 13, we’ll give you a copy of An Insider’s Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice (a $19 value) with your registration.
There will also be a conference program book that will be given to all attendees in which you can place an ad for between $25 (1/8 page) and $100 (full page). We are expecting 100–200 attendees, so that should be a very cost-effective way to get your message across. If you or someone you know would like to advertise at the conference, click here to download a PDF with more information, or contact Fred Lutz at 585-314-2090 or fredlutz@hotmail.com.
There are also exhibitor spaces (but only room for 12 exhibitors, so those will go quickly!) and sponsorship opportunities available. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor or exhibit at the conference, please check out the RPCN website or contact Tracey Aiello at tracey@winningcareerstrategies.com.
If you are interested in helping with this conference, we’d love to have you. The committee has been meeting on Thursdays at the Corner Bakery Café at 3300 Monroe Avenue in Pittsford (across the street from the Pittsford Plaza) at 3 PM. Our main areas of focus now are recruiting sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers; publicizing the conference; and putting together the conference program booklet.
As we get closer to April 7, we’ll be looking for help with registration and putting together conference materials. If you’d like to help, we have a subcommittee that can use your skills; it’s a great way to get to know other RPCN members and demonstrate your abilities. Please contact me at (585) 739-9726 or dbassett@bassett.pro.
It will be a great conference. We hope to see you there.
RPCN Dinner with Dr. Bruce Katcher
Are you attending the RPCN Small Business Success Conference on Tuesday, April 7? Kick start your learning early by joining our keynote speaker, Dr. Bruce Katcher, for an intimate dinner on Monday, April 6, 2015. The dinner will be held at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, 1111 Jefferson Road at 6:30 PM and the cost is $25 per person. Click here to reserve your seat online.
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RPCN Entrepreneur Wall of Fame Gala – Register Now!
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 By Laurie Enos
Join us at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, 1111 Jefferson Road, on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, as RPCN celebrates 25 years by hosting the Entrepreneur Wall of Fame Gala. The gala begins with cocktails at 6 PM and dinner and awards at 7 PM. Rachel Barnhart from Channel 8 News is our emcee and General John Batiste is the keynote speaker. The cost is $25 for RPCN members and $30 for non-members. Click here to register online.
And there is still time to nominate your pick for one of the following categories: Consultant’s Consultant, Community Champion, Entrepreneur of the Year, Dave Young Dedicated Service Award and the Linda Halliburton Friend of RPCN Award.
You do not need to be an RPCN member to nominate someone; just tell a good story about why those you nominate deserve to be recognized. Feel free to provide supporting documentation. You can nominate more than one person in one or more of the categories – just fill out a separate form for each nominee.
To learn more about the qualifications for each category and to access a ballot, use this link for a RPCN Wall of Fame nomination form. Nominations are due by March 6.
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Making your business better
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Where were you 25 years ago?
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By Janice Hanson
As RPCN celebrates its 25th anniversary, we will be including stories from RPCN members about where they were and what they were doing in 1990, when RPCN first started.
Here’s one from Barbara Moore of Moore Results (and a member of RPCN’s Communication Committee):
“Twenty-five years ago, I was wearing dress-for-success suits and attending weekly management meetings in my position as assistant director for Computer Systems and Applications for the University of Rochester Libraries. I was responsible for the large mainframe computer, which kept the bibliographic records for all library holdings, and for individual computer workstations, which were used to search specialized databases. In 1993, my life changed when I began training faculty and students to search the Internet using a new web browser called Mosaic. I enjoyed this work and, in 1996, I left the library and started my own computer training business.”
To share your story (125 words or less), please email editor@rochesterconsultants.org.
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25 years ago...
In 1990, RPCN had its first meeting as an organization of consultants and the Hubble Telescope was launched into space.
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 Participants in the 2015 RPCN Consultants Boot Camp at High Tech Rochester, led by Bob Lurz. The Boot Camp wraps up on March 3. View more photos on the RPCN Facebook page by clicking here. (Photo by Janice Hanson)
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We want you!
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The RPCN newsletter welcomes news, success stories, tips, resources, events and other items that would be of broad interest to consultants. Submit a newsletter item by email to the Communication Committee. RPCN members also may write articles for our website; submit articles here. In the newsletter, we'll highlight submitted articles aimed at helping consultants make their businesses better.
If you have newsletter questions or suggestions, or ideas for how RPCN could improve communications, contact the Communication Committee:
Janice Hanson, Chair
Barbara Moore
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal
Sheryl Rhodes
Please send articles for the April newsletter by March 15.
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Upcoming events
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Technical Forum
Facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, March 6, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of any technical issues that consultants encounter in running their businesses, including computers, the Internet and phones. Wondering what kind of questions people are asking? For a list from recent forums, click here.
An Introduction to Bitcoin
Presented by Guy Paddock
Friday, March 13, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room
With legislators in countries throughout the world racing to help nurture the currency, Bitcoin is poised to become as much a part of our financial system as credit and debit cards. Guy Paddock will provide an overview of what Bitcoin is, how it is being used today by businesses worldwide and how it might be used in the not too distant future.
Business Forum
Facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, March 20, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of issues regarding starting or running a consulting business. Wondering what kind of questions people are asking? For a list from recent forums, click here.
RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, March 20, 2015
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library
RPCN’s monthly board meeting begins at approximately 10:00 AM, after the Business Forum. Everyone is welcome to attend, but only board members may vote.
How to Speak to Grow Your Business
Presented by Bob Manard
Friday, March 27, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room
Learn some key strategies for creating your next presentation to generate the results you desire, including how to create a compelling opening, how to develop a solid structure for your presentation and how to develop your theme. Bob Manard is a speaking coach and president of Speak4Results.
RPCN Dinner with Dr. Bruce Katcher
Monday, April 6, 2015
6:30 PM
Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, 1111 Jefferson Road
Are you attending the RPCN Small Business Success Conference? Kick start your learning early by joining our keynote speaker, Dr. Bruce Katcher, for an intimate dinner. The cost is $25 per person.
RPCN Small Business Success Conference
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monroe Community College
Learn what it takes to start a small business, keep it going and the building blocks needed to grow successfully. The conference features three tracks – business fundamentals, marketing and selling, and growing your business – and great speakers, including a keynote address by Dr. Bruce Katcher, author of An Insider’s Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice.
RPCN Entrepreneur Wall of Fame Gala
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, 1111 Jefferson Road
RPCN celebrates 25 years by hosting the Entrepreneur Wall of Fame Gala. The gala begins with cocktails at 6 PM and dinner and awards at 7 PM. Rachel Barnhart from Channel 8 News is the emcee and General John Batiste is the keynote speaker. The cost is $25 for RPCN members and $30 for non-members.
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Book review of Million Dollar Consulting Proposals
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By Lawrence R. Berger
Organized more as a workbook than as a primer on the subject, Alan Weiss’ Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That is Accepted Every Time (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012) not only offers templates on how to create proposals, but also offers tips on how to implement them into your business. You’ll learn about offering options, getting to the “economic buyer,” electronic proposals vs. hard copy and why the author recommends one over the other. Plus much, much, more!
The book is authored by the great consulting guru, Alan Weiss, and while I can’t say I’m a fan of his primary book, Million Dollar Consulting, this book is MUCH more useful and practical, in my opinion, and should be read by everyone in the world.
Please contact RPCN’s Librarian, Ruth Balkin, to borrow a copy and read it for yourself. If you aren’t a member of RPCN, you can borrow a copy of the book from the Monroe County Library System.
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