Moving into the future with purpose

by Brian A. Kane, President

Last month, I let you know that the board of directors is working to significantly improve RPCN's value to members. An important step is conducting two surveys: one of members and the other of the community.

The member survey will take place in June. You'll get a special email notice when the online survey is about to become available. It will take you no more than 5 minutes to complete. Our goal is to get 75% of members to complete the survey. If you don't complete it online, then we will call you directly. That's how serious we are about this! Here is a video by Mike Van der Gaag discussing the survey.

The member survey aims to benchmark whether members set and achieve financial milestones. It will also help us begin to understand whether members are considered premier consultants.

Sometime later on, RPCN will engage a local firm to conduct a community survey with a broad range of people. Many of these people are currently on our email list; others, such as area business leaders, will be added to the list. We want to know how RPCN and its members are perceived.

RPCN is becoming a better organization. Stay tuned and please respond by filling out the survey when it reaches you. We will report the results to you in August.

Getting results for RPCN members

by Chris Swingle Farnum

A lot of nonprofits exist to do good but don't know how much effect their efforts and their resources are having, says Brian Kane. His business, Results for Good, helps nonprofit agencies maximize their results for clients and for the community by delivering evidence-based outcomes.

In other words, he helps organizations figure out what their goals are and how to measure their progress.

Kane, of Canadice, Ontario County, has brought that same approach to Rochester Professional Consultants Network, where he completes a one-year term as president at the end of June.

He and the board have been evaluating how to measure the group's success and make sure its efforts are aligned toward the goals. "What is RPCN about, really? What are we really trying to do?" Kane asks. Click here to read more about defining success and setting goals. Here is a video interview with Brian Kane.

Making your business better

Sales & Marketing: When it comes to sales and marketing, practice makes you better. If one thing doesn't work, try something else. Those are two of the ten pieces of advice Ruth Balkin gives in her article Top Ten Reasons Marketing is Like Playing Sudoku.

Networking: Another way to look at it is as building your community, and it's more than just shaking hands and exchanging business cards. Janice Hanson offers some tips on expanding your network in her blog Building Your Community is Worth the Effort.

Of interest

Starting a Business: The Business & Social Sciences Division of the Monroe County Library and the College at Brockport Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are sponsoring a free program on Legal Considerations for Starting a Small Business on Wednesday, June 5 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Kate Gleason Auditorium, Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building, 115 South Avenue. Carla Vazquez, certified business advisor, and Jon Lazenby, attorney, will discuss choice of business entity, tax considerations, intellectual property, contracts and more. Click here for more information and to register.

Quickbooks: SCORE Rochester hosts a workshop on business planning with basic Quickbooks on Wednesday, June 19 from 8:45 AM-3:30 PM at the Federal Building, 100 State Street. Attendees will get an overview of accounting's focus, Quickbooks set-up, navigating Quickbooks, making sales, getting paid, paying bills, tracking expenses and Quickbooks reports. Click here for more information and to register.

Clean Energy: On Thursday, June 20 from 5:30-8:30 PM at High Tech Rochester (150 Lucius Gordon Drive in West Henrietta, NY 14586), meet and listen to Mike Shimazu, project manager for clean energy innovation and business for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). He'll describe NYSERDA's R&D and business development programs, and what interested parties must know in order to participate. Click here for more information and to register.

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In this issue:

• President's_message
  
• Member profile
  
• Making your business better
  
• Of interest
  
• Upcoming events
• New members

We want you!

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:
Barbara Moore, Chair
Brian Kane
Chris Swingle
Janice Hanson
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal

Upcoming events

Technical Forum
facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, June 7, 2013

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room
(Note change in location)

An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of any technical issues that consultants encounter in running their businesses, including computers, the Internet and telephones.

Demystifying Client Attraction
presented by Priscilla Auchincloss, Ph.D.
Friday, June 14, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Want some new insight in securing a steady stream of clients for your business? Join Priscilla Auchincloss, owner of Physikos Movement at Village Gate Square in Rochester, for an informative and helpful presentation focusing on the top three keys to the mindset you need to build your client base. Here's a video introduction to the program:

Business Forum
facilitated by Mike Molaire
Friday, June 21, 2013

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM Pittsford Community Library

An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of issues regarding starting or running a consulting business.

RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, June 21, 2013
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library

RPCN's monthly board meeting begins at approximately 10:00 AM following the Business Forum. Everyone is welcome to attend, but only board members may vote.

Pinterest for Business
presented by Arthur L. Catalanello
Friday, June 28, 2013   
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Is Pinterest the right tool for your business? Arthur Catalanello, VP and senior research officer at Harvey Research says, "Yes!" Here's a video introduction to the program: