By Rich Bond
Great pitchers, even those who throw 100+ mph, only last if they have multiple pitches. Major league hitters eventually can catch up to even the best heater. But a batter looks dreadful when he is expecting a fastball and gets a changeup.
Businesses need to consider changeups as well. I took over my family’s 16-year-old temporary help business from my father and brought in a very different perspective, which resulted in doubling sales from $2.5 million to over $5 million, while also doubling profits.
My father had gone into business for himself after he was laid off from a controller job, which he had been doing for 25 years. He ran a great business but resisted selling and hated to spend money. I came in from a public company where I was running a 10-state sales territory.
I immediately hired a full-time salesperson and relieved the half-time salesperson of her administrative responsibilities. I expanded our space and spent some money.
Initially, sales boomed, but profits crashed. Fortunately, over time, the additional revenue more than offset the higher costs. A different perspective dramatically increased the value of business, which we sold.
I am now a financial recruiter. I have worked with many business owners who have resisted changing their finance function, the same way my father resisted selling. After we helped them hire the right financial person, their businesses boomed with profits increasing by up to 100%.
Feel free to reach out to me to discuss if your business needs a financial staffing changeup. Call me at 203-221-3233 or shoot me an email – Richard.bond@bondandcompany.com. I would be happy to send you case histories of our clients’ successes.
