You’ve achieved almost everything you dreamed of... Things have really taken off in your business. You land new clients regularly, referrals are coming in, and your revenue is increasing. You’re able to hire and you lead a small team of talent to help manage your growing client base. Everything should be great! But reality sets in. Despite the increase in clients, your profit margins aren’t matching. You can’t afford to bring on more talent to help with the extra workload, but you can’t put it all on the team you have. So you work longer and longer days; twelve hours at the office have become your norm, six, even seven days a week. With each new client, that workload increases, and … [Read more...]
Case Studies on Performance Measures
Here are Case Studies from Anchor Advisors on how we have used Performance Measures to help businesses grow. Go back to Case Studies »
Moving In The ‘Write’ Direction
Write On Command is a writing, editing and project management business based in Springfield, Illinois. Owner Bridget Ingebrigtsen leads a team of writers, editors and VAs who assist small-business owners with their projects. Challenge In 1998, Bridget Ingebrigtsen started working as a freelance writer and editor after leaving her full-time job as an editor in the not-for-profit industry. With a newborn daughter at home, Bridget needed more flexibility and felt she could make a good living as a freelancer. "I had jobs coming in here and there; nothing consistent, but the jobs were coming in," Bridget said. "I made money, but I never thought it could sustain me or provide a lasting and … [Read more...]
Breeding A Healthy Business
AnimalSense is a Chicago-based dog training and behavior company. The company offers group classes, private lessons, behavioral consultations, an academy to teach dog training, as well as a host of special educational and dog-centered programs to enhance the lives of people and their pets. Challenge As the owner of a dog-training and behavior company, Jamie Damato was doing what she loved to do - work with animals and with fellow dog-lovers. But, her job wasn't all fun and games. There was the not-so-fun part - the business side - that was dragging her down. Her entrepreneurial mind was always going, making her venture into new territory without first thinking it through thoroughly. "I … [Read more...]
Business Coaching: Providing the Framework for Success
Background Media Staffing Network is a job-placement agency based in Chicago. The company offers job placement, recruitment consulting, candidate and corporate training, and outplacement.Laurie Kahn founded Media Staffing Network in 1993 following a successful radio career in Kansas City and Chicago. After "getting fired" - one of the best things to happen to her, she said - she took a position as a temporary sales representative at a local radio station. It was during this position that she got the idea for her company, which started as Rep Temps before eventually evolving into Media Staffing Network. Challenges Media Staffing Network was one of many businesses that experienced a … [Read more...]
From One Man Band to an Ensemble
The Big Picture Home Theater Company is a home-theater design and installation business based in Wilmette, Illinois. Owner Patrick McFadden, a sound-system enthusiast, opened the business in December 2003 and quickly built a customer base through customer referrals. Challenge The Big Picture Home Theater Company started as a one-man operation but as new business continued to pour in, one man could no longer handle all the work. Patrick hired several new staff members but was still too busy tending to the day-to-day operations of the business that he could not focus on what was needed to bring his company to the next level. He wanted his company to grow in a manner that would ensure its … [Read more...]