Business Focus Weekly
A publication focused on helping your business to grow and become more focused.
New York Life
Interviewee: Jacob Hardin

KW: Tell us about your business.
JH: I have been an agent with New York Life Insurance for one year. I do insurance and annuities, I want to be a one-stop-shop with a holistic approach for our clients. My main goal is being able to help families transition through a rough state and be confident that if something were to happen to them, they will be protected.

KW: Who is your target customer?
JH: From those in their mid-20s, to families in their mid-40s that have children. Parents who want to understand their options, and are planning for the future for their children.

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
JH: Being able to prospect people. Being able to go out and talk to people in person – at restaurants or events. We’ve had to depend on social media, but we find that not as many people want to use it, and we don’t have their contact information on there.

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
JH: This is where being backed by a company that has been around 176 years is really beneficial. We’ve adapted through any scenario we’ve been approached by…world wars, great depression, etc. Now we have Zoom meetings and materials we can share through Zoom, and are able to provide the same service we provide in-person through these programs.

KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
JH: Early on, just not caring enough about finances. In my early twenties, I didn’t think about it too much. I didn’t have benefits through previous employers. Not learning the proper ways to control my finances early on is what caused me to suffer. I had to learn from that and am still learning. I found the right person: we are able to communicate well and set values and boundaries, which is the same thing with a career. My company will support me in retirement and is a lifeline that I can pass to the kids – if they want.

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
JH: My kids are my main inspiration. Having someone to direct me in my path is key – God has a plan, whether it’s easy or not, I trust that he has the right path. I want to be able to continue to provide for my kids and my future spouse

OFFER: Our meetings with clients are free. We want to make sure our clients feel like they understand their options from our services and that our solutions are the right fit.

New York Life
Interviewee: Jacob Hardin
509-499-2699
Jhardin01@ft.newyorklife.com

By Kendra Wiiest
Black Label Brewing
Owner: Dan Dvorak
 
KW: Tell us about your business.
DD: Steve and I started homebrewing in his garage. We started going through the process to open a brewery. It took two years to build out our brewery and taproom between city permits and remodeling our downtown building. So, we’re mostly focused on taproom sales, with only one outside account. We have been open since 2015.

KW: Who is your target customer?
DD: Our demographic, since being downtown, we get many students that study and grab a pint. The majority of our customer base is 40-60 year-olds just getting off work, wanting a beer. We often see people on vacations driving through town. 

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
DD: The lack of people being able to hang out in a taproom. That’s where all of our sales come from. When we weren’t allowed to have anyone in the building, we had to close down. That was the most difficult part. Also, not knowing what to expect from one week to the next. It has been a rollercoaster.

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
DD: We’ve really focused on canning because that’s the only other way for us to make money at this point. We can now can 16oz and 32oz for customers that want to-go orders. It has worked pretty well! 

KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
DD: The biggest mistake I made at the beginning was that I was too shy to ask questions and pick other people’s brains. You will find that the knowledge you get is priceless. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and find out as much as you can.

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
DD: The comradery that the public and the people I work with every day have. Our community has helped us get through this. People in our building – other business owners/operators have had the resilience and make it work. 

OFFER: Mention this newsletter and get $1 off your first pint!

Black Label Brewing
Owner: Dan Dvorak
509-822-7436

By Kendra Wiiest
College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving
Interviewee: Price Paramour

KW: Tell us about your business.
PP: We are a full-service company going into our second year that helps move goods from one place to another. What makes us different is our core values. HUNKS: Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable Service. Creating a fun and enthusiastic team environment. These core values help drive how we do our business and become an iconic brand. 

KW: Who is your target customer?
PP: Our target audience is usually women 30-55 years old, as they are usually the ones calling to book us.

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
PP: Covid has definitely impacted us. Our analytics show a 15-30% drop in sales across our brand over 130 locations. Most of that was April-June 2020, but then it started to pick back up. The other impact has been trying to deal with operations. We go inside homes, touch every single item. We wear masks, take cleanliness seriously, disinfect trucks and wash hands. We are dedicated to making sure we are keeping our customers safe.

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
PP: We make accommodations for clients if they have specific requests beyond our mandates. Sometimes clients don’t want to be in the house at the same time, so we fill out paperwork ahead of time. Clients can pull items out of their homes, and we can pick up junk removal items from their driveways.

KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
PP: One of the mistakes we made early on was controlling our costs. The biggest cost in this business is labor because it’s a service-based company. Last month, we implemented incentives with labor costs to make the changes we wanted to see. Based on the labor, gas, time, and other disposables. If our Hunks are efficient enough at their jobs and reach their benchmarks – they get a percentage of commission. It has helped us keep a more consistent expense on labor. I wish we had done that earlier.

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
PP: First of all, to be a good father. My family is always number 1. Beyond that, I want to have a positive impact on the community. It’s always been the reason why I wanted to start and own a business- for the flexibility to create an impact.

OFFER: Mention this newsletter and we will give you $25 off junk removal services.

College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving
Interviewee: Price Paramour
509-204-4692
Spokane.hunks@chhj.com

By Kendra Wiiest
Ramax Engraving & Awards
Owner: Paula Smith

KW: Tell us about your business.
PS: Ramax started in 1961, I am a third-generation owner. We do engraving and have many different machines. We engrave awards, gifts, and personalization needs such as mugs, wood, and tons of other things.

KW: Who is your target customer?
PS: Before Covid, our target market was large corporations that needed awards and name tags and nameplates. Companies that celebrate employee achievements. Also, schools with sports that need awards. However, that has changed since Covid as well.

KW: What has been the greatest impact of COVID-19 on your business?
PS: We are an awards-based company. Where there are no events, schools, weddings etc. there are no awards to be ordered. We have moved the location of the company to a smaller location and overhead is lower.

KW: What are one or two actions you’ve taken to make a difference?
PS: Moving the location was the biggest change. It was a hard decision to make because we knew how much stuff there was to go through. It was not an easy move and there was a lot of heavy equipment. We also switched gears to market toward engraving gifts – marketing on social media has increased also. That has helped a ton!


KW: What is a mistake you’ve made along the way that other people can learn from?
PS: I feel like I’ve been in survival mode because I took over in October 2019. About a month before Covid hit, we had just put money into newer versions of software and equipment, so that was difficult. We are not trying to homeschool our kids, we know it’s a season and we will get through it.

KW: What is inspiring to you today?
PS: I’m super inspired by the Spokane Quarateam! It’s inspiring to see what he’s doing for businesses, restaurants, and how he's feeding people who are hungry.

OFFER: Mention this newsletter and we will give you $5 off any engraving service.

Ramax Engraving & Awards
Owner: Paula Smith
509-928-1222
ramaxawards@gmail.com


By Kendra Wiiest
Current & Future Events
Space is limited, register today!
SPRING SESSION - GrowthCLUB - Quarterly business planning event for business owners to set goals and learn from experts. Save the date for the next one, June 4, 2021. Free to clients, only $99 per company.

Useful Business Thought of the Week