RPCN: A growing resource for opportunities

by Michael Van der Gaag, President

As entrepreneurs or sole proprietors looking to grow our businesses, we are always on the lookout for opportunities not only to gain clients but also to enhance our reputations and visibility. RPCN as an organization is also trying to grow and become better recognized and appreciated. The thought is that, as the reputation and recognition of RPCN grows, it will rub off on the members and help enhance their prestige as well.

In this search for recognition and opportunity, we have been establishing alliances with local organizations. For a number of years, as a means of promoting consulting as a career choice, our members have been presenting at the RochesterWorks! Self Employment Assistance Program (SEAP) sessions. We have traditionally had a booth at the MCC/August Group Career Fair. We have occasionally appeared at other local events, such as this year’s Rochester Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) panel discussion on entrepreneurship. 

In 2012, through our five-session Consulting Bootcamp, we became connected to High Tech Rochester (HTR). More recently, we’ve met to explore areas of mutual interest with Eastman Business Park, Monroe Community College (MCC) and the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC). We will soon add an Alliance Page to our website with links to our allies’ websites, and they will do the same for us.

We are also in the process of improving the members-only Opportunities page of our website, rochesterconsultants.org/opportunities, to make it more easily accessible to members who wish to post opportunities or review and take advantage of what’s available. A member seeking account coordinators for her business recently asked to post that opportunity and qualifications. Members who have opted in for notifications of new postings on the Opportunities page were instantly alerted to the new information and could pursue the work or refer a friend. We would like to encourage more such postings as well as invitations for collaboration and mutual support.

In this past month, both Eastman Business Park and MCC have expressed interest in being able to post opportunities with us. Eastman Business Park would like to share details of their clients’ projects and needed skills. MCC’s workforce development folks would like a place to invite RPCN members to submit ideas for technical training or business skills development workshops that they would be paid to teach.

So keep your eyes on the RPCN website as we enhance these service pages for our members. Making RPCN an effective resource for opportunities is a key part of our new strategic goals.

Opting in for RPCN items

Did you know that you can be notified when certain types of information get posted to our RPCN online discussion forums? You can opt in to one or more discussion topics: RPCN issues, Website Q&A, Networking/educational events, Opportunities, Business discussions, Social media discussions, Technical discussions and Water cooler (for socializing, award announcements, etc.). Otherwise, to see the information, you must visit that section of the website.

How to opt in: On the homepage, rochesterconsultants.org, login and click on Members-only, then Discussion Area. Click on a discussion. To receive notice of new posts to that discussion topic, click on “Subscribe to forum” at the top right.

To control how often you receive notifications, go to your profile (click “View profile” in the green box to the lower left), click “Email subscriptions,” click “Edit profile,” and then you can select Daily (the default), Weekly or Immediately.

Stitching her way to consulting

By Chris Swingle

Stefani Tadio grew up in a family of people who create art – a mom who sews and crochets, a father who does woodworking, and a sister who knits. “My family says it’s in our DNA,” says Tadio, who has done quilting, pottery, needlepoint, cross-stitching and rubber stamping.

But she’s the only one who sells her art. “I loved it so much I thought, ‘I wonder if I can make money doing what I love,’ ” says Tadio, who lives in Perinton. She started her business, Pine Tree Designs, in 2004 with rubber stamp art. Then she saw a book of embroidery on paper and was entranced. She switched her focus to hand-stitching original designs on paper with needle and shiny thread.

Now she is working on expanding into a consulting role. Click here to read about the artists’ association that Tadio created and how she plans to use her coordination skills and connections.

Here is a video interview with Stefani Tadio.

Chris Swingle, chrisswingle.com, is a freelance writer and chairs RPCN’s Communication Committee.

New RPCN discussion series: TrendTalk

On Wednesday, October 16, RPCN will hold TrendTalk: Opportunities and Challenges in Rochester's High Tech Sector, the first in a new series of panel discussions on local business sectors. This discussion – which will be held at the Radisson Airport Hotel and which also includes dinner – will feature Charles Provini, CEO of Natcore Technology; Bill Pollock, CEO of Optimation and of Kingsbury Corporation; and Bob Kot, director of New Ventures at High Tech Rochester. Future sessions will focus on the health care, nonprofit, religious and other sectors of the local economy that are of interest to RPCN members.

RPCN is seeking local corporations, small businesses and consultants to sponsor the first event in the TrendTalk series. The sponsorship deadline is Saturday, August 10. Friday, September 20, is the early-registration deadline to attend the event, after which time the price goes up. Click here for details and to register.

Great participation in member survey

We want to thank members who took part in our recent Strategic Performance Survey. We had a response rate of over 80% and received excellent comments, suggestions and feedback. As we analyze the results in the next few weeks, please take the time to think about participating in the upcoming focus groups. How would you like RPCN to meet your expectations and support your growth? How will you contribute to our mutual success?

We will share more about the survey results in the September newsletter.

Of interest

RPCN projector: Need a projector? RPCN members can rent the group's ViewSonic PJ551 LCD projector, which can display video, images or computer data on a screen or other flat surface. The rental fee is $50/day. There is also a $100 security deposit. Click here for the leasing policy and the rental agreement.

Small business newsletter: The Small Business Resource Center at the Rochester Public Library is publishing a newsletter for small businesses, through paper.li. Check it out for the latest news for small businesses. Starting a business? Contact the Library’s Small Business Resource Center at 585-428-8130 or visit them on the fourth floor of Central Library building, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604.

In this issue:

• President's_message  
  
• Member profile
  
• RPCN’s TrendTalk series
  
• 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:
Chris Swingle, Chair
Brian Kane
Janice Hanson
Barbara Moore
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal

Upcoming events

Technical Forum
facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, August 2, 2013
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 telephones.

Genesee County: Regional Opportunities
presented by Chris Suozzi
Friday, August 9, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Get the latest on fast-growing Genesee County, with a focus on three strategic businesses: agribusiness, advanced manufacturing and life sciences. New business parks include huge yogurt-making facilities. There are plans to add up to 10,000 new jobs, including in the semi-conductor industry. Business is booming. Find out how consultants can help or benefit!

Here’s a video introduction to the program.



Business Forum
facilitated by Brian Kane
Friday, August 16, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library

Our special guest is Jim Drago, principal applications engineer at Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC, a Palmyra-based company that Drago describes as growing and thriving. In addition to our regular informal, facilitated roundtable discussion about running your consulting business, we will hear from Drago about the company and how it uses consultants.

Here’s a video introduction by Jim Drago:



RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, August 16, 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.

RPCN Picnic
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Rand Lodge at Powder Mills Park
1:00 - 5:00 PM
(eat at 2:30 PM)

Join us for this year’s RPCN Picnic. RPCN will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, pork ribs and beverages. There is no charge for members and one guest; $5 each for non-members and additional guests. Please bring a dish to share. Registration is required for an accurate count. Please register online by August 14.

Beyond IRAs: Retirement Plan Options for Consultants
presented by Stephen A. Melnyk
Friday, August 23, 2013    
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Depending on the business structure and number of employees, the law provides for several retirement plan options for a business. An individual may have more options available than just an individual IRA. This presentation will discuss those options, and potential pros and cons of each. Stephen Melnyk is a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch.

Here’s a video introduction to the program:

New members

RPCN welcomes one new member this month. Click on the link below to view her profile.

Claudette Entenberg

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Welcome to a new era

by Michael Van der Gaag, President

As we start a new fiscal year with new leadership, the board members and I are excited about a new mission for our organization and look forward to engaging members in making it a reality.

Throughout RPCN’s nearly 24 years, strategic planning has enabled the organization to make subtle shifts in direction, program focus and member benefits. The latest round has resulted in a bold leap: RPCN’s new mission is to enable its members to develop premier consulting businesses that deliver customer-centered solutions that are better, smarter and more innovative.

We have been an organization that promotes professionalism, ethics and excellence in consulting. We’ve provided opportunities for members to develop and grow in their profession, network with other consultants and the business community, and acquire mutual support.

We will still provide educational programs, technical forums and business forums, but they will be focused on business areas that directly affect members’ success.

Make no mistake, this is ambitious! We intend to measure the success of the organization by the success of the members (as you, the members, define it). As you know, we are currently surveying the membership to understand where we are currently in setting and meeting our business milestones. Now that we will measure RPCN’s success by your achievement, we will need your support and involvement more than ever. In the near future, we will be conducting focus groups to refine our understanding of your needs. We will need you to help us define, find and sometimes deliver the topics, training and support programs that members need to enable them to set real objectives and achieve real success.

In support of the new strategy, we are planning other areas of growth:

• We are looking to expand our offerings through a “Learn from the Best” program in which we will periodically engage well-known practitioners and thought leaders from a variety of industries and areas of business. “Learn from the Best” will help our members enhance their skills and business acumen and grow by adopting new thinking and innovative techniques.
• We are exploring the possibility of adding evening sessions. Those of you who are too busy to make Friday morning sessions would have more convenient alternatives for special “Learn from the Best” topics or perhaps just for networking.
• The Boot Camp for starting a consulting business (conducted last year) was so successful that we are considering running it again and perhaps making it an annual staple of the organization. We are also thinking about adding a “level 2” version to help experienced consultants expand their techniques as well as their business.
• Just as we have published promotional videos and member stories on the website, our future plans include live webcasting and recording of meetings to help those of you with scheduling conflicts to participate in and keep abreast of RPCN happenings.
• Finally, in the next few months, we will be engaging with you to examine the website to identify needed improvements and to better support the new programs.

As I said, this is ambitious! It's a lot to tackle all at once, but with your help and participation, we'll prioritize and accomplish these changes in due course. For the programs and improvements to be successful, we will need your participation, your support and your guidance. After all, this is your RPCN.

The full strategic plan is online; click here to view.

I look forward to working with you to make this the best RPCN year ever. Welcome to the new era.

Introducing the new VP and board members

In the recent election, David Bassett was selected as RPCN’s new vice president, and he will serve a three-year term, becoming president in year two and immediate past president in year three.

David Bassett has been a patent agent registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since 2004 and has experience in biomedical, optics, business methods, computer utility patenting and design patenting. He has been treasurer of RPCN for several years, and also is program chairman of the Independent Entrepreneurs Council and a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the National Association of Patent Practitioners.

At the June RPCN board meeting, the following members were selected and approved to serve on the RPCN board of directors: Paula Randall, secretary; Kim Pandina, treasurer; and Janice Hanson, Bob Lurz, David Powe and Mike Molaire, members at large.
 
They will join Michael Van der Gaag, the newly elected president, and Brian Kane, immediate past president, as the slate of officers for the coming fiscal year (which runs July-June).

We thank Brian Kane for all of his work as RPCN president over the past year, moving the organization forward in a more strategic direction and helping consultants achieve results.

We would also like to say thanks to Jen Ulrich for her contribution as secretary for the past three years and Lori Cohen for her efforts over the past three years as immediate past president and manager of the Membership Committee.

Mike Molaire formulates a new career as a consultant

by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

A native of Haiti who has become such a confirmed Rochesterian that he now prefers local weather to tropical climes, Michel “Mike” Frantz Molaire of Penfield, owner of Molaire Consulting LLC, is a dedicated RPCN member with a well-conceived consulting business based on a long-term career at Kodak.

Molaire’s primary consulting business is “basically technical,” he says. “I help clients develop new materials and put them into formulations. They’re often developing new products. I help them plan to fit into their timeline and budget. I provide advice and sometimes help their staff implement the project.”

Molaire brings a substantial level of skill, training and experience to his consulting business. He absorbed much of that background as a chemist in materials and formulation research and development at Kodak for 36 years, where his job was to invent things. In November 2012, he was recognized by the Museum of African-American History as one of 100 “Inspiring Minds: African-Americans in Science and Technology.”

Molaire launched his consulting business about a year ago, after being downsized from Kodak in 2010. The first client for his consulting business was a company in South Korea, proof that a consultant “can do the work without leaving home or moving.” Click here to read more about how he prepared for his consulting business, and how RPCN has helped him to develop and promote his business. Here is a video interview with Mike Molaire.

RPCN member Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is an award-winning freelance writer, editor and proofreader. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com.

Making your business better

Small business advice: What's one thing you learned from running and growing your own business that might help other small businesses? Submit your advice along with an original photo of you at your business (with complete caption information of everyone pictured) to RocNext@DemocratandChronicle.com to possibly be featured in a gallery on RochesterNext.com. That section focuses on small businesses and innovation news, tips and trends. For examples of others, visit their website.
   
Setting rates: Weighing whether to charge by the hour or per project, wondering what formula to use when setting your fees? Read Ruth Thaler-Carter's blog post Freelancing Basics: How and What to Charge for Your Freelance Work on the Society for Technical Communication website.

New members

RPCN welcomes one new member this month. Click on the link below to view her profile.

Tracy Jong

In this issue:

• President's_message  
  
• Introducing board
  
• Member profile
  
• Making your business better
  
• Of interest
  
• Upcoming events
• Update on survey
  
• New members

Upcoming events

Technical Forum
Friday, July 5, 2013
No meeting due to holiday.

Getting the Most Out of Your Trade Show Experience
presented by Ruth Balkin, Balkin Information Services
Friday, July 12, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Planning to attend a conference, exhibit at a trade show, or just look at the booths at the SOHO exposition or other show? Learn what you need to do to prepare in advance, "work the trade show" and follow up effectively.  Here’s a video introduction to the program:

Business Forum
facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, July 19, 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, July 19, 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.

Patenting Under the America Invents Act (AIA)
presented by Dave Bassett, Bassett IP Strategies
Friday, July 26, 2013   
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

The America Invents Act brought many changes to the U.S. patent system. Dave will review the patenting process and the protections patents provide to inventors, how these changes to the law will affect inventors, and discuss what steps inventors should take to preserve their intellectual property.
Here’s a video introduction to the program:

RPCN Summer Picnic 
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Rand Lodge at Powder Mill Park
1:00-5:00 PM
(eat at 2:30 PM)

There is no charge for members and their guests; $5 for non-members. Meats, beverages (water & soda) and utensils will be provided. Members are asked to bring a dish to share.

Update on RPCN member survey

RPCN is currently conducting a brief survey of the membership to identify and provide programming that meets your needs and expectations.

Your participation in this five-minute survey will get us started. If you haven’t already done so, please visit the website and click on the link on the home page to participate (members only).

Our goal is to get 75% of members to complete the survey. If you haven’t completed it online, then you will be getting a call asking you to participate.

Remember, we want RPCN to grow in a way that will help you and your business to grow.

Of interest

Social media: SCORE Rochester hosts a webinar on Building Word of Mouth Using Social Media on Thursday, July 11, at 1:00 PM. Lon Safko will talk about how to use social media to build buzz for your company, products and services.

Writing and editing: Ruth Thaler-Carter will give workshops on Getting Started as a Freelance Writer (Monday, July 1, at 7:00 PM) and The Basics of Editing & Proofreading (Monday, July 29, at 7:00 PM) at Writers and Books, 740 University Avenue, Rochester.

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

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Engage and prosper

by Brian A. Kane, President

Spider-Man soon will be swinging through Rochester for a reason. Rochester is the most successful region in upstate New York. That was the assessment of Sandy Parker, president and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance, during her visit with the RPCN on March 8.

Sandy Parker at RPCN                                        
Photo: Janice Hanson

Her advice to consultants: Get involved with the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. Recently, Governor Andrew Cuomo awarded the region $96.2 million in economic development grants. Parker says that consultants can have a two-fold impact from volunteering with the Council: We can influence the development of the region and we can network to create the right relationships for our businesses.

The Council will be working to strengthen the regional economy around the following innovation hubs: higher education, agriculture and food processing, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and health care, business services, energy innovation, and tourism and the arts.

If you want to prosper as a consultant along with the rest of the region, you should be designing your business and marketing strategies with these hubs in mind. Here is a link to Parker's PowerPoint presentation. 

David Powe brings corporate experience to consulting excellence

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, freelance writer/editor, www.writerruth.com

Launching a consulting business was a logical - and carefully considered - move for Rochester Professional Consultants Network (RPCN) member David Powe, partner and lead consultant in AIOPX Management Consulting.

Powe came to Rochester from New Jersey, as director of manufacturing for Arch Chemicals. Eventually, a larger company bought Arch and released all of its corporate employees. Powe spent about six months "going through a process of elimination for where I wanted to go in my life," he recalled. "I decided I had three options to consider: find another job in corporate America, buy a franchise business or go into consulting. ... Consulting came to the forefront as best meeting my career aspirations and personal needs."

And he was prepared for consulting - in his last two years with Arch, he functioned as an internal consultant. "I went to all the other company locations to help them start up, develop a structure and use operations excellence," he said. "I had a home office."

Powe launched his business officially in February 2012. He considers his consulting business to still be in launch mode, although he has found success and fulfillment in his first year as a consultant and has learned a few valuable lessons along the way.

Click here to read more about those lessons learned, how he came up with his business name and his take on the value of networking.

For a video interview with David Powe, watch this YouTube video.

Making your business better

Mission vs. Vision: Do you confuse a mission statement with a vision statement? A mission statement is about what you are trying to accomplish every day at work. A vision statement is where an organization is trying to go in the future. Bob Whipple explains the difference in Mission and Vision Essentials.

Community Report Card: ACT Rochester (an initiative of the Rochester Area Community Foundation) hosts its second annual community report card event on Thursday, April 11, 8:00 - 10:00 AM at the Rochester Museum & Science Center. Be the first to learn about updated regional trends; connect with community initiatives linked with ACT Rochester; and discuss opportunities to leverage resources now that ACT Rochester aligns directly to the governor's nine-county Finger Lakes structure. Click here for more information.

Closing the Deal: SCORE hosts a workshop on improving your selling skills on Wednesday, April 10 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM in Fairport. When you are talking with an interested customer face-to-face, on the phone or on the Internet, how good are you at selling and closing the sale? How would you rate your selling skills, on a scale of 1 to 10?  Would you like to improve? Click here for more information.

Freelancing: Ruth E. Thaler-Carter will be one of the presenters in the first-ever virtual conference hosted by the Society for Technical Communication (STC), on starting a business, April 16-18, 2013. Click here for more information.

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
Carl Jenks   
Chris Swingle
Janice Hanson
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal

Upcoming events

Technical Forum facilitated by Mike Van der Gaag
Friday, April 5, 2013 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 telephones.

presented by Brian Kane
Friday, April 12, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Organizations achieve their missions and generate substantial impact by focusing on and measuring their most critical outcomes. Learn how to combine evidence-based metrics and the right stories to create a compelling narrative that proves your effectiveness and increases your value to donors, employees and the community. Here's a video introduction to the program:

New members

RPCN welcomes two new members this month. Click on their names to view their profiles.

James (Jim) Barton
Ken Ramme

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The Message of March Madness

by Brian A. Kane, President

March Madness, the perennial college basketball tourney, is now in the offing. Sixty-four of the nation’s best and most promising teams will compete over several weeks. In the end, there will be one champion. The consulting world is a lot like March Madness, just all year long. Like a tournament, there are a few winners and lots of losers.

Do you find yourself muttering these words? “I’ve always done it this way.” “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” “I’m the expert and my client just doesn’t get it.” This attitude is madness. If this is your attitude, then it’s certain that consulting opportunities are passing you by.

One consultant to emulate for his client-based approach is Alan Weiss. Despite his huge international success, he continuously looks for ways to provide new and better value to his clients. Weiss is constantly engaging other consultants and thought-leaders to learn and grow. And he never forgets the basics: He returns phone calls and emails promptly. He’s someone we all could learn from.

These days, the consulting world is fast-paced and rapidly changing. If you are not meeting your business goals, then it is time to ask yourself why. There is no reason to continue the madness, unless you’re a sports fan. Email me at brian@threelakesconsulting.com and I’ll put RPCN to work for you!

by Chris Swingle

Member news

Of interest

SCORE: Upcoming workshops for business owners include Business Research (March 14 in Pittsford), Marketing on the Internet (March 20 in Rochester) and several different series of workshops on Starting Your Business (Henrietta, Canandaigua, W. Irondequoit, Pittsford). For more information, visit the SCORE website.

Speed Networking: The Rochester Business Alliance hosts a two-hour speed networking session on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:30 AM at their State Street office. Speed networking offers a twist on the typical meet-and-greet; it’s an organized succession of brief conversations among participants that allows you to talk with 20 or more people. Click here for more information.

Database webinar: The Monroe County Library System now offers the ReferenceUSA databases remotely to Monroe County Library System library card holders. The U.S. businesses database is useful for generating a customized list of prospects, competitors and more. The Central Library has arranged for Rick White of Infogroup, producer of the ReferenceUSA databases, to do a one-hour free introductory webinar on using ReferenceUSA every Friday in March at 11:00 AM. Use this link for more info and registration.

In this issue:

• President's message  
  
• RPCN member profile
  
• Making your business better
  
• Member news
• Of interest
• Upcoming events
• New members

We want you!

The RPCN newsletter is open to articles, news, success stories, tips, resources and more from members. Don't be shy – if you aren't sure of your writing skills, experienced writers on the Communications Committee are here to make you look good. To submit articles online (members only), click here or send an email to the Communications Committee, who are:
Barbara Moore, Chair
Brian Kane
Carl Jenks   
Chris Swingle
Janice Hanson
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal

Upcoming Events

New Members

RPCN welcomes three new members this month. Click on their names to view their profiles.

Phat Dao
Joseph MacDonough
Jeff Schwartz

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Creating opportunity

by Brian A. Kane, President

RPCN wants to create more opportunities for members, so we will be inviting key regional business leaders to our Friday sessions. This initiative launches on March 8 with Sandy Parker, president & CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance, who will discuss key regional economic trends.

Sandy Parker is a leader in turning around the regional economy. One example of that leadership is the Rochester Community Coalition, which has obtained more equitable state funding for major local development projects. She knows business trendsetters and understands where we are headed. Sandy will help us understand where growth is occurring and how we can provide valuable assistance to local businesses.

RPCN is also creating opportunity by exploring more formal partnerships with SCORE, the Monroe County Library Small Business Division, High Tech Rochester and others. Thanks to RPCN Alliance Committee chair Bob Lurz and his team for building these relationships.

Expect more news about this in the next couple of months.

And if you have ideas for more ways that RPCN can create opportunity for you, let me know!

by Chris Swingle

The Rochester Professional Consultants Network (RPCN) monthly question-answer forums on business and technical issues helped Charlie Hancock switch from a corporate job to a one-man firm in 1996 – and have kept him coming to RPCN programs.

“I may not have a question going in, but I’ll learn something,” says Hancock, an expert on medical device sterilization. “RPCN was a very substantial reason for my being successful.” Hancock appreciates hearing various perspectives at RPCN from people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. “That’s really valuable, and you can’t get it anywhere else,” he says.

Click here to read more about Hancock’s success. 

Click on the image to see Charlie's video.

Member news

In January, Judith Shenouda presented the first of a 12-part webinar series on career planning for the Society for Technical Communication (STC) in January. Ruth E. Thaler-Carter also presented a webinar for STC in January, on freelancing. Click here for more information on the STC webinars.

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is blogging about Brighton again for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Send her your business and personal news if you're in Brighton!

Calling all RPCN authors

by Ruth Balkin and Judy Shenouda

ATTN: RPCN members – Have you written a book that you would like to promote to the RPCN community? If so, we would love to hear from you. Please provide the name of the book, a brief description, and ordering information to Ruth Balkin or Judy Shenouda. Or send an email to Ruth Balkin at rbalkin@balkininfo.com. The Library Committee will take it from there! Also, if you would like to donate a copy of your book to our collection, just let us know.

RPCN members can borrow items from RPCN’s extensive library of business books and other materials. Click here to view a listing of materials in the library.

Of interest

SEAP: Become a volunteer presenter to SEAP (Self Employment Assistance Program) and help dozens of people! SEAP is a state Labor Department program run by Rochester Works. It helps unemployed individuals who want to create their own business. For more than three years, RPCN has been instrumental in teaching SEAP participants what consulting is and what RPCN can do to help. By volunteering just one hour of your time, you can help dozens of people and spread the word about RPCN. For more information, contact RPCN Vice President Michael Van der Gaag at mrvandergaag@gmail.com.

SCORE: A five-part series of workshops – Simple Steps for Starting Your Business – begins on Saturday, March 2. You’ll learn the essential of business start-up, get action steps and receive one-on-one mentoring. The workshops will be held at the Rochester Business Alliance, 150 State Street, Rochester. For more information and to register, click here.

In this issue:

• President's message  
  
• RPCN member profile
  
• Making your business better
  
• Member news
• Calling all RPCN authors
• Of interest
• Upcoming events
• New members

We want you!

The RPCN newsletter is open to articles, news, success stories, tips, resources and more from members. Don't be shy – if you aren't sure of your writing skills, experienced writers on the Communications Committee are here to make you look good. To submit articles online (members only), click here or send an email to the Communications Committee, who are:
Barbara Moore, Chair
Brian Kane
Carl Jenks   
Chris Swingle
Janice Hanson
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal

Upcoming Events

Technical Forum
facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, February 1, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library

An informal, facilitated round-table discussion of any technical issues that consultants encounter in running their business, including computers, the Internet, and telephones.

Perspectives on Retiring in Time: For yourself, your clients, your family, your legacy presented by Dr. Jack Best
Friday, February 8, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Jack Best will discuss retiring in time, insights about transition planning, monetizing your practice, and the second half of life.

Here is a video in which Jack describes his presentation.

Business Forum
facilitated by Mike Molaire 
Friday, February 15, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
   
An informal, facilitated round-table discussion of any issues regarding the starting or running of a consulting business.

RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, February 15, 2013
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library

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

The Visual Presentation of Data
Presented by Vince Vezza

Friday, February 22, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Well-designed data graphics are the simplest and most powerful methods for analyzing and communicating  data. This talk will give guidelines for graphical display of data.

Here is a video in which Vince describes his presentation.

New Members

RPCN welcomes three new members this month. Click on their names to view their profiles.

John Debesis
Deborah Lydick
Andrea Rommel

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Embracing the New Year!

by Brian A. Kane, President

Happy New Year! RPCN is proud to launch a newly redesigned newsletter. With this new format, we’re strongly committed to telling interesting stories about members and their successes. We’re excited about these changes. Let us know what you think. And please, share your good news with us. We will help you share it with the world!

As we embrace the new year, RPCN will focus more and more on ways that we can increase opportunity for members. In addition to regularly showcasing our members, we’ll be revising the RPCN brand, strengthening alliances with key area organizations, dramatically improving our Friday programs, and updating our website.

With Mike Molaire as the new Program Committee leader, expect visits from area decision-makers who understand business trends that affect the consulting field.

Another way we will work to increase opportunity is to share important tips and suggest excellent books that will strengthen your practice. Here are two books that you should consider buying or borrowing from the library:
The Big Book of Small Business by Tom Gegax and Phil Bolsta and The Small Business Bible by Steven D. Strauss.

A special thanks to all of those members who volunteer their valuable time to make RPCN the premier resource in consulting.

Professional Development and More

by Chris Swingle

Lori Cohen joined Rochester Professional Consultants Network in 2005 when she was considering starting her own business.

She quickly saw pluses. Her first client, a commercial printer seeking an internal quality auditor, found her through the member directory on the RPCN website, and Cohen has learned strategies and tips to develop as a consultant from the meetings she attends. “I call it professional development,” says Cohen. “I always walk away with something I find useful.”

What has kept her in the group is.... (Click here to read the rest of the article.)

For a video about Cohen, watch this YouTube video.

Do you have an RPCN success story to share? E-mail chris@chrisswingle.com.

Resolve to Enhance your Consulting Business in 2013

by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, www.writerruth.com

It’s a new year, and that means we’re all making New Year’s resolutions. Along with those perennial vows to lose weight and otherwise aim for self-improvement, consultants – or people thinking about becoming consultants – can set goals that will help make their professional efforts more successful.

Here are some possible 2013 resolutions. Don’t expect to accomplish all of these; just see them as possibilities for building your business, and give yourself points for any you do achieve. … (Click here to read the rest of the article.)

Long-time freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is a newsletter expert and member of the RPCN Communications Committee.

Quick Links

Professional organizer Jen Ulrich has been blogging for herrochester.com since May 2011. Policy Retention and Other Insurance Tips is worth a read. Another good article from Jen is on the RPCN website, Creating Passwords for Safe Computing.

Bit by bit, task by task is how you get things done. RPCN member Susan Kastan shares steps that help energize her in her article Motivation.

Of Interest

SCORE is presenting a workshop on Small Business Start-Up & Survival on Wednesday January 16, 2013 from 8:45-3:30 PM at the Federal Building, 100 State Street. Are you starting a business and need some guidance? Are you currently in business, but need some help? If you answered YES, this workshop has been designed especially for you.  This workshop will provide key information on all the basic components of running a business.

SCORE is also holding a series of workshops on Starting Your Own Business on consecutive Tuesdays, January 29, February 5, 12, 19, from 7:00-9:00 PM at Greece Olympia High School. Visit www.scorerochester.org for more information.

In this issue:

• President's_Message
  
• Professional Development and More
  
• Resolve to Enhance your Consulting Business in 2013
  
• Quick Links
  
• Of Interest
  
• New Members

We want you!

The RPCN newsletter is open to articles, news, success stories, tips, resources, and more from members. Don't be shy – if you aren't sure of your writing skills, experienced writers on the Communications Committee are here to make you look good. For information about submitting items, click here.

The Communications Committee is:
Barbara Moore, Chair
Brian Kane
Carl Jenks   
Chris Swingle
Janice Hanson
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal

Upcoming Events

Technical Forum
facilitated by Linda McQueen
Friday, January 4, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library

An informal, facilitated round-table discussion of any technical issues that consultants encounter in running their business, including computers, the Internet, and telephones.

The Alliance Consultancy Business Model
presented by Steve Healy
Friday, January 11, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

How to keep your pipelines full, share the marketing and sales burden, create semi-passive income and do so honorably.
Here is a video in which Steve describes his presentation.

Business Forum
facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, January 18, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library

An informal, facilitated round-table discussion of any issues regarding the starting or running of a consulting business.

RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, January 18, 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.

Google Analytics
presented by Peter Platt of PSquared Digital LLC
Friday, January 25, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room

Learn what you need to know about Google Analytics for your business or just for fun!
Here is a video in which Peter describes his presentation.

New Members

RPCN welcomes two new members this month. Click on their names to view their profiles.

Stephen Melnyk
Richard Rivers

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