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RPCN president Dave Bassett has a patent on entrepreneurship
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By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, RPCN Communication Committee
 The RPCN’s current president could be said to have a patent on being an entrepreneur – his consulting business helps people patent their inventions.
Dave Bassett, president of Bassett IP Strategies and Bassett Business Strategies in Macedon, NY (operating under the umbrella of Bassett Statistical Company LLC), worked as a chemical engineer for about 16 years in a wide range of areas before starting his own business in 2005. He also has developed software for petroleum exploration and has a background in biomedical, reactions and semiconductors.
Bassett’s business, he said, helps inventors “in several areas but is primarily focused on patent application development and patent prosecution. BBS helps companies with business plans and strategic planning.”
It might seem as if running a business and being so involved in the RPCN would be enough for Bassett, but he also is involved with a small group of local entrepreneurs – the Independent Entrepreneur’s Council – and is a member of the National Association of Patent Practitioners and the Wayne County Business Council. He also has been secretary and treasurer of the Rochester section of the AIChE (chemical engineering society), treasurer for a campground and a youth hockey coach.
Click here to watch a video interview with Bassett and find out how the RPCN has been beneficial for his business and his own professional development. To read the full interview, visit this page on the RPCN website.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is a freelance writer, editor, proofreader and speaker whose motto is “I can write about anything!”™
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RPCN means great opportunities for members
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By Dave Bassett, RPCN President
 Opportunities. RPCN is all about opportunities. Did you know that the members-only portion of the RPCN website has an area where opportunities for work/projects/ seminars are listed? This is an excellent area to post notices when you are looking for particular skill sets to help with projects and to find out when people are looking for your particular area of expertise.
Members can log in and go to the members-only section of the website and click on “Opportunities.” Recent posts have included an RFP for a consultant to do a feasibility study, paid participation in product testing, a career fair and a web designer position. Click on the “Subscribe to forum” button at the top right of the Opportunities page to be notified when new items are posted.
Also listed on the Opportunities page: MCC is currently looking for instructors in several areas including statistics and statistical process control; blueprint reading; geometric dimensioning and tolerancing; metrology; and machine math. If you have experience with any of those areas, please check out the opportunities forum; MCC may have an opportunity for you.
These aren’t the only opportunities that the RPCN offers to members.
As you know, if you’ve been reading this column, we’ve held a series of strategic planning and implementation sessions with the membership over this past summer and have gotten a lot of great ideas on how to implement the strategic plan priorities and a lot of volunteers to help the board in doing just that. The complete RPCN strategic plan, can be found on the RPCN website under the “About Us” tab.
Mike Molaire did a great job of organizing the TrendTalks last year. He’ll be setting up another one, focusing on the public sector this time, this winter.
You’ll have a chance to network and socialize with RPCN colleagues at a holiday party on December 11 at the Bistro at Towpath Café in Fairport. We’ll keep you updated on this as the details are finalized.
I’m pleased to tell you that dates and locations have been chosen for the next RPCN Consultant’s Boot Camp, led by Bob Lurz. The 2015 boot camp will be held at High Tech Rochester (HTR) on each Tuesday in February and conclude on the first Tuesday in March. Click here for more information.
Our full-day conference, originally planned for October 2014, will be held this spring, on April 7, 2015, at MCC. IDr. Bruce Katcher will be the keynote speaker at this big event.
On April 21, we’ll hold a dinner celebrating our 25th anniversary.
With all these activities, plus several others going on “behind the scenes,” so to speak, it’s a busy time for RPCN. It’s also fun. If you’d like to help, we’d love to have you contribute. All of our committees are actively looking for volunteers to help out. To get involved, just check out the website to get the contact info for the particular committee you’re interested in, or contact me at president@rochesterconsultants.org.
Please also feel free to contact me with your thoughts on how we’re doing, what you think we’re doing well and what you think we could do better. The members are the lifeblood of RPCN, and we look forward to your enthusiasm and continued participation. Thank you for your support!
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RPCN celebrates 25 years in 2015
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Back in 1990, a group of 10 or so former Kodak workers formed a mutual support group. Little did they know that the group would still be going strong a quarter-century later as the Rochester Professional Consultants Network. In 2015, RPCN celebrates 25 years of growing the economy, one consultant at a time. RPCN’s anniversary will kick off with a Holiday Party on December 11 at the Bistro at the Towpath Café (details on that event to come).
The first president of RPCN was Ian (Ted) Fraser, followed the next year by Roger Vickery. Other charter members included Robert Boser, David Burnett, John Foote, Hugh Gilmour, Dan Hedberg, Chris Leavitt, John Morley and David Young. We are planning to include short stories about the early RPCN members in future issues of the newsletter.
Mark your calendars for April 21, 2015, when RPCN will host a gala event and dinner to celebrate the 25th anniversary. The planning committee is hard at work on several special events to mark the anniversary.
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Making your business better
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RPCN welcomes the following new members. Joyce Curran
Dan Ewing
Alan Kesselman
Not an RPCN member? You can join the RPCN now to receive great benefits including free admission to RPCN presentations, a listing in the RPCN Member Directory and discounts to RPCN events such as the conference and TrendTalk. Click here to join the RPCN.
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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
Collin Paran
Please send articles for the December newsletter by November 15.
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Upcoming events
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Technical Forum
facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, November 7, 2014
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.
Sales Sucks and What to Do About It
presented by Thomas J. Biviano
Friday, November 14, 2014
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room
Tom Biviano will demonstrate a technique that makes sales less stressful, more productive and more profitable. Known for his entrepreneurial spirit and dynamic sales strategy, Biviano has had extensive achievements in sales, consulting, technology and executive management with a range of companies, including Procter & Gamble, Mobil Chemical and IBM.
Here is a short video introduction to his presentation.
Business Forum
facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, November 21, 2014
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, November 21, 2014
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 28, 2014
There will be no RPCN meeting today because of the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Health care reform: Digital Rochester explores what health care reform means for health IT on Thursday, November 13, at Oak Hill Country Club. Leaders across the health care community – representing hospitals, physician groups, post-acute care and home care – will speak about what health care organizations need to be doing to prepare for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and health care reform. Click here for more information.
QuickBooks: SCORE hosts a workshop on running your business with Basic QuickBooks on Tuesday, November 11, at the Rochester Business Alliance. Topics include bookkeeping basics; using your QuickBooks file on a daily/weekly basis; setting up and using items, paying bills and invoicing customers; and QuickBooks menus, reports and preference options. Click here for more information. |
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