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By David Powe, RPCN President
 At
our last board meeting, there was a spirited discussion about RPCN
membership. We discussed the value of membership in our organization
versus the cost of our membership fee. We ultimately agreed that there
is great value in an RPCN membership and that we need to do a better job
of articulating that value to our current and potential members.
Here are some of the benefits I get from being a member of RPCN:
- Professional Development – Through our forums, programs and conferences, I am able to develop my skills as a consultant.
- Mentoring
– I have connected with numerous professionals who have mentored and
coached me in how to develop my consulting business.
- Networking – RPCN has been a major resource in helping me expand my professional network.
- Exposure
to Potential Clients – Through my member profile, participation in
committees and programs, and – most recently – exhibiting at business
expos, I have developed numerous business leads.
- Support
System – Belonging to RPCN gives me a group of people to socialize with
and break out of the isolation of being a “solopreneur.”
RPCN
also provides members with many sources of information (RPCN Library)
and resources (past presentations and forum questions). But the best
reason for being a member of RPCN can be summed up by a short story
(author unknown).
A
young boy was walking with his father along a country road. When they
came across a very large tree branch, the boy asked, “Do you think I
could move that branch?” His father answered, “If you use all your
strength, I’m sure you can.” So the boy tried mightily to lift, pull and
push the branch, but he couldn’t move it. Discouraged, he said, “Dad,
you were wrong. I can’t do it.” His dad said, “Try again.” This time, as
the boy struggled with the branch, his father joined him and together
they pushed the branch aside. “Son,” the father said, “the first time
you didn’t use all your strength. You didn’t ask me to help.”
We are so much more powerful together than we
are separately. Value your membership and help us recruit others to make
us even stronger.
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Jim Barton puts in-house experience to work as a consultant
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By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
 Like many RPCN members, James (Jim) Barton
became a consultant when his corporate job disappeared. He had worked
for Bausch and Lomb (B&L) for a total of 22 years in several roles,
the last seven as vice president for Business Development in the
company’s Vision Care (contact lens) Division. When B&L was
restructured as part of being sold, he had the option of going back to
industry with another company, but “in thinking deeply about it, that
quite frankly didn’t appeal,” he recalled. “I decided I could use my
skills as an independent businessperson. I thought that would be fun.”
Among the influences in his decision was that
“I saw a need that I could help fulfill,” Barton said. “My role in
business development was relevant to becoming a consultant. Many small
and medium-sized companies would come to us with technology they thought
would be appealing. Their products would be good, but their marketing
was often bad – they didn’t understand the corporation’s needs.”
It certainly has worked out well. Barton incorporated his business, James H. Barton Consulting, LLC,
in July of 2013 and has found success and fulfillment in his consulting
role. He does several large projects a year. His wife helps with
bookkeeping, and he subcontracts the services and knowledge of
colleagues as needed for some projects, such as market research or
advice about a new technology or market.
Barton joined RPCN in the spring of 2013 and
found it “extremely important” in planning to launch his consulting
business. “I’m an experienced businessperson, but I was extremely
nervous about this,” he said. “There were all kinds of decisions to
make, and it can be overwhelming. RPCN let me connect with members with a
large amount of practical information to share – people who went
through the same experience. It was very useful in helping me set up my
business with full confidence.”
To express his appreciation, Barton now serves
on the RPCN board and took on chairing the program for the most recent
RPCN conference. “I felt it would be a good thing to give back to the
organization in a practical way,” he explained. He is also a member of
Digital Rochester and is on the Strategic Advisory board of Ovitz, a
start-up company located at High Tech Rochester, and the advisory board
of the Biointerfaces Institute of McMaster University in Ontario,
Canada.
To read the rest of the article – including
how his consulting business has changed from what he originally
envisioned and how he finds new clients – visit this page on the RPCN website.
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“Turning the Battleship” Leadership Workshop
Maj. Gen. Robert Mixon and Maj. Gen. John
Batiste of Level Five Associates LLC present this workshop with
co-sponsor Nazareth College School of Management. The workshop is
designed to enhance your organization’s leadership style and company
culture. Learn from highly experienced leaders with a history of
building high-performing organizations. Engage your entire leadership
team in focused and collaborative leadership learning. Get targeted
learning and tactics around Level Five’s “Big 6” Leadership Principles™
that can immediately enhance your team’s leadership style. Wednesday,
December 2; 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM; Otto Shults Community Center, Nazareth
College. Early registration deadline is November 18. More info. View workshop flyer.
Marketing, E-Commerce and Franchise Workshops
RPCN member Ruth E. Thaler-Carter will present
“Marketing and E-Commerce for Your New Business” as part of the
Business StartUp Solutions of NY “Eyes Wide Open … for Business” series.
Tuesday, November 17; 9:00 - 10:30 AM; Pittsford Library. Business
StartUp Solutions will also hold a Franchise Basics Workshop. Monday,
November 9; 12:30 - 5:00 PM; Pittsford Library. More info.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter receives Big Pencil Award
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is a 2015 Writers &
Books Big Pencil Award recipient for being “A teacher of adults who has
inspired the creation and appreciation of literature” and someone who
has “contributed significantly in the advancement, creation and
understanding of literature in the Rochester community.” Thaler-Carter
is one of seven people being recognized at the award ceremony. Saturday,
November 14; 6:00 – 9:00 PM; Writers & Books, 740 University
Avenue, Rochester. More info.
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Making your business better
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RPCN member Robert Whipple’s recent post on Reducing Conflict at Work
lists 12 ideas you can implement, one of which is “take a vacation.” If
a vacation is just too hard for you to schedule, then take time to
explore Bob’s 11 other ideas.
"Marketing is always top of mind, but often
the lowest task on the to-do list," wrote Rhonda Abrams in her column 7 Small Business Marketing Tricks. Her seven marketing tactics are a must-read.
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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 Newsletter 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 Newsletter Committee:
Janice Hanson, Chair
Barbara Moore
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal
Sheryl Rhodes
Please send articles for the December newsletter by November 15.
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Upcoming events
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Please note that RPCN’s second and fourth Friday meetings will be at NeighborWorks through December.
Technical Forum
Facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, November 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? Click here for a list from recent forums.
Concepts of Building a Conscious Business & Organization
Presented by Bob Freese
Friday, November 13, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
NeighborWorks, 570 South Avenue, Rochester
Companies
that practice the principles of Conscious Capitalism have sound
business practices; create more financial and other kinds of societal
wealth; and have more fulfilled employees, happy and loyal customers,
innovative and profitable suppliers, and thriving and environmentally
healthy communities. This engaging and interactive workshop looks at
building a Conscious Business as well as a Conscious Organization.
Here is a short video in which Bob describes his presentation plus some interesting information about his business.
Business Forum
Facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, November 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? Click here for a list from recent forums.
RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, November 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.
No Meeting
Friday, November 27, 2015
There will be no RPCN meeting today because of the holiday.
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RPCN hosts holiday dinner on December 10
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Rochester Professional Consultants Network (RPCN) finishes up the 25th anniversary celebrations with a Holiday Dinner on Thursday, December 10.
Bring your spouse and join your RPCN peers for some holiday cheer! You
can also learn about the exciting and educational events RPCN has
planned for 2016.
The holiday dinner will be at the Bistro at
Towpath Café, 6 North Main Street in Fairport (cocktails and networking,
6:00 PM; dinner, 6:30 PM). Tickets are $20 for members and $30 for
guests. Tickets can be purchased through the RPCN website, where you can also see the full dinner menu for the event. Please RSVP by Friday, December 4. Click here to view a flyer.
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