Peninsula Small Business Talk

Recently, PEA’s program committee had members discuss and share ideas for how to save money in their businesses.  Here are a few tips from them to you!

• Julie Fukuhara, Stern Mortage- Do joint marketing/advertising/events with other complimentary companies.
• Randy Mills, Pioneer Services- Ask every new customer how they found you and track your sources.
• Fawni Hill, Larick Alan Hill- Occasionally renegotiate contracts with vendors to get better terms. Check out Larick Alan Hill in Facebook!
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons- Start out with Yelp using the free service but be sure to be on it.  Set up your business profile and claim it (All About Business Services can help).  See if there are any email groups of Mom’s support groups you can join such as Portola Valley Forum or Parents Club of Palo Alto & Menlo Park. Check out Senior Seasons on Facebook!
• Karen Bowne, Sheraton Palo Alto- Use Caltrain instead of driving.  Buy in bulk and plan ahead for orders so you don’t incur extra delivery fees. Check out the Sheraton Palo Alto on Facebook!
• Bob Rosenberg, GR8WORK Builders, Inc.- Reuse the back sides of copy paper and turn off all equipment at nights and on weekends. Check out GR8WORK Builders on Facebook!
• Mike Fox, A&A Plumbing- Use your phone to send pictures to suppliers to order a part.  Remove excess tools and materials from vehicles to save on gas. Check out A&A Plumbing on Facebook!
• Angelo Izzo, California Business Opportunities- Make and save money in your business by keeping good financial records.  This can make or break a business.  Be sure you are following the basics in business.  Best practices save money and make money. Check out California Business Opportunities on Facebook!
• Larry Moore, Larry’s Autoworks- Use group guying/associations, etc for products and services. Check out Larry’s Autoworks on Facebook!
• Patrick Banks, Banks Electric- Be organized- save time and money by having what you need to do the job.
• Susan Hamilton, VTF Services- Cross train people to cover absences.
• Erik Jacobsen, Threestory Studio- When making capital purchases buy quality and maintain rather than looking for the cheapest.  Use Skype for long distance calling and meetings. Check out Threestory Studio on Facebook!

Interested in this kind of information and getting to know PEA? Learn how to join HERE and ‘Like’ us on Facebook!

• Bob Rosenberg, GR8WORK Builders, Inc. thanked Randy Mills, Pioneer Services for the great job on the windows.
• Gary Rudolph, Rudolph’s Interiors thanked Brian Irion, Esq., Law Offices of Brian Irion for the lead-generating Leads and Introductions topic the previous week.
• Dr. Al Butner, Honorary Member thanked Dr. Chuck Fulanovich, Palo Alto Chiropractic, saying that after treatments with Chuck, his neck mobility is approaching that of an owl.
• Tom Brown, All Reasons Moving thanked Dr. Leta Zwiebel, Psychologist, for the leads.  They have been very busy.
• Karen Bowne, Sheraton Palo Alto thanked Werner Rogmans, Stanford Floral Design for the flower arrangements on display in the meeting room that morning.  She said he would be doing more arrangements for her over the next couple of days for a photo shoot at the Westin.
• Dr. Chuck Fulanovich, Palo Alto Chiropractic was happy to announce his son got a job offer after working with Richard Phillips, Advantage Career Solutions on his resume.
• Angelo Izzo, California Business Opportunities recently sold an energy business that was for sale for three years and a medical billing company that was for sale for two years.  He said they are persistent, which is good because businesses don’t sell in a month
• Georgie Gleim, Gleim the Jeweler said that she found her business on a list of the top five power members of the jewelry industry in an industry trade journal.
• Richard Phillips, Advantage Career Solutions, thanked Mike Fox, A&A Plumbing.  He is normally a do-it-yourselfer but is very glad he called Mike instead to deal with a clogged sewage pipe.
• David Gaskill, D.B. Gaskill Advertising Specialties thanked Mike Feller, Innovative Sales & Leasing who sold his old station wagon for more than he would have gotten if he traded it in.
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons reported her and her husband’s cars are like new thanks to Scott Yeaman, Yeaman Auto Body and Jeff Badzik, Perfection Auto Detail.

Welcome back to our monthly PEA featured Facebook page of the month! Don’t forget to check back next month to see if your business is the featured Facebook!

PEA Members Names: Kaye and Steve Sharbrough, Senior Seasons

Business Classification: Senior Home Referrals

Member Since: January 2009

Check out Senior Seasons on Facebook HERE!

In 2004, inspired by the daunting experience of finding a retirement community for her mother, Berenice, Kaye Sharbrough founded Senior Seasons. Having faced similar challenges with their own loved ones, Kaye and the other referral experts at Senior Seasons are committed to simplifying the process for others

A no-cost referral service, Senior Seasons educates and guides seniors and their families in their search for the ideal senior community. Customized referrals, the most comprehensive senior housing database in California, and direct, personal experience distinguish Senior Seasons from other services.

Need more than our housing referral expertise? Senior Seasons is happy to refer you to trusted professionals in:

• Elder law
• Estate sales management
• Fiduciary
• Financial planning
• Geriatric care management
• Legal
• Medi-Cal planning
• Moving and packing
• In-home care givers
• Professional organizing (downsizing & rightsizing)
• Real Estate
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefits

Senior Seasons‘ Facebook page features articles and videos that range from fun (like the recent link to a video about the oldest clown) to more serious topics (an article in the Contra Costa Times, “The Cost of Dying”).  Their Facebook page even includes helpful tips for seniors and their families(check out your local Rotary Club for help with home maintenance).

Don’t forget to ‘Like’ the PEA Facebook page too!

• Laurie Moore, Larry’s Autoworks thanked Julie Fukuhara, Stern Mortgage for the refinance.
• Erik Jacobsen, Threestory Studio got a call from another attorney from the law firm that he mentioned in his classification for more visual information design.  His work will also be used by the Los Altos Rotary for their upcoming Fine Arts in the Park.
• Randy Mills, Pioneer Services bought a new van through Mike Feller, Innovative Sales & Leasing and said it was much better than going through a dealership.
• Maureen Clark, Clark Associates thanked Mike Fox, A&A Plumbing for coming to the rescue again.
• Tom Brown, All Reasons Moving reported that they just finished looking at their quarterly results and were up 25% in January and 15% in February.
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons thanked David Gaskill, D.B. Gaskill Advertising Specialties for fulfilling her small order – buttons congratulating a friend who just won an award for being an exceptional woman in publishing.
• Georgie Gleim, Gleim the Jeweler reported that they won Best Jewelry Store and Best Watch Repair.
• Judy Ott, Judy Ott Organization and Design thanked Dan Ingerman, Wemorph for the postcards she handed out at a recent presentation. Lastly, she thanked Richard Phillips, Advantage Career Solutions who has help her friend from out of state find a job at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga (Go Gaels!).
• John Sylvester, SST Insurance Brokers had his hair cut by the President… of PEA, Susan Scott, Expressions Salon.
• David Gaskill, D.B. Gaskill Advertising Specialties thanked Carol Garsten, Nature Gallery for the amethyst he bought for his wife and Mike Feller, Innovative Sales & Leasing for the help with getting his brand new Prius.
• Avi Safar, Footwear, Etc said after throwing his back out on Monday he saw Dr. Chuck Fulanovich, Palo Alto Chiropractic who adjusted him and used a laser treatment on his back.  Only three hours later, Avi felt much better.
• Skip Gould, San Mateo Daily Journal thanked Judy Johnson, Unexpected Treasures for running an ad in the paper for her recent estate sale.  He was able to get the ad in past the normal deadline and was happy to hear the sale was a success.
• Executive Director Neal Coogler, announced a success for PEA.  The PEA Facebook page now has more than 35 ‘Likes’!  Mike Clark, Michael J. Clark, CPA won the grand prize drawing for three pounds of Connoisseur Coffee.
• Dr. Leta Zwiebel, Psychologist recently had her car in the shop at Larry’s Autoworks. She really appreciates the top notch service there, including the fact that they take time to thoroughly answer all her questions.
• Karen Bowne, Sheraton Palo Alto thanked Werner Rogmans, Stanford Floral Design for his help weekend before last.  She was attending a housewarming party and needed a gift.  She went by Werner’s shop and he arranged a beautiful house plant for her.
• Nichole Fox, Payroll City announced that they have just taken on a big new client.  The client, who has 135 employees, went from a big name payroll service to Payroll City and in the process is going from an annual cost of $13,000 to $8,000.
• Dr. Linda Hur, Mountain View Optometry thanked Scott Yeaman, Yeaman Autobody, for fixing her car for the second time.
• Julie Fukuhara, Stern Mortgage won a pound of Connoisseur Coffee in the PEA Facebook page contest a week or two ago.  She gave the coffee to her aunt, who is a dedicated coffee drinker.  Her aunt loved the coffee and ordered three more pounds through Julie.

Besides the prestigious Craig Calkins Executive of the Year Award (presented this year to Karen Bowne, Sheraton Palo Alto), PEA hands out many other awards at the annual Anniversary meeting. Here are some highlights of this year’s awards!

Fun statistics:

Breakfasts consumed in 2011: …… 2,571.

Total leads given:…… 5,260 (Direct: 3,240. Referral: 1,580. Internet: 440)

New Members: President Mike Feller, Innovative Sales and Leasing recognized the new members of 2011, and presented the certificate award for Rookie of the Year to new member Gary Rudolph, Rudolph’s Interiors!

Leads Given in the Triple Digits: The following people were recognized for giving leads in the triple digits last year-

• Maureen Clark, Clark Associates
• Bobbie Fakkema, Events, Etc…
• David Gaskill, D.B. Gaskill Advertising Specialties
• Bob Rosenberg, GR8WORK Builders, Inc.
• Fawni Hill, Larick Alan Hill
• Larry and Laurie Moore, Larry’s AutoWorks
• Rick Rosensweig, Morgan Stanley
• Dr. Chuck Fulanovich, Palo Alto Chiropractic
• John Sylvester, SST Insurance Brokers
• Judy Johnson, Unexpected Treasures
• Dr. Leta Zwiebel, Psychologist

Mike awarded the certificate for Most Direct Leads Given to Bobbie Fakkema, Events, Etc… who gave the most direct leads(171)  after Hall of Famers Larry and Laurie Moore (268).

Referral Leads Given in the Triple Digits: The following two people gave referral leads in the triple digits-

• Judy Ott, Judy Ott Organization and Design (153)
• Bette Asbra, Pro-Staff Painting (129)

He awarded the certificate for Most Referral Leads Given to Judy Ott, Judy Ott Organization and Design!  (She and runner-up Bette Asbra, Pro-Staff Painting have been in the triple digits four years running!)

Best Attendance: Tie for first place went to Larry and Laurie Moore, Larry’s AutoWorks and Dr. Chuck Fulanovich, Palo Alto Chiropractic

Honorable Mention Attendance: Only one meeting behind the best attendance members, honorable mention attendance was a tie between Mike Feller, Innovative Sales and Leasing, Dr. Leta Zwiebel, Psychologist, and Julie and Rick Stern, Stern Mortgage

Award Certificates: Mike presented Certificates of Award to the following members:

• Most New Members Recruited: Brian Irion, Esq., Law Offices of Brian Irion
• Most Informative Classification: Anatomy of a Lawsuit, Brian Irion, Esq., Law Offices of Brian Irion
• Most Information You Didn’t Want to Hear at Breakfast: How to Really Clean Your Mouth, Dr. Fella Benyammi, Benyammi Family Dentistry
• Most Interactive Classification: The Bag Off Competition, Dave Nishimoto, Mollie Stone’s Market
• Best Performance During a Classification: Got the Laid Off Blues, Richard Phillips, Advantage Career Solutions
• Most Thought Provoking Leads and Introductions Topic: What Obstacles Have You Faced in Your Business? Shawn McMillan, Connoisseur Coffee
• Funniest Leads and Introductions Stories: Funniest Thing a Customer Has Said to You?, Carol Garsten, Nature Gallery
• Best Open House Theme: Let’s Go Out to the Ball Game, Mike Clark, Michael J. Clark, CPA, Fawni Hill, Larick Alan Hill, Brian Irion, Law Offices of Brian Irion, and Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons
• Best Open House Food and Music: Oktoberfest, John King, Keller-Williams Realty
• Most Active on PEA Facebook Group/Page: Maureen Clark, Clark Associates
• Most Attention-Getting Blog Article: tie – How to Handle a Tax Notice, Mike Clark, Michael J. Clark, CPA and Where are Loans At?, Julie Fukuhara, Stern Mortgage
• Best Home Video Maker: Don Miller, Honorary Member
• The Cheesehead Award: Special award by President Mike Feller to Mike Clark, Michael J. Clark, CPA for suggesting a PEA door banner

Mike also congratulated Paul Kraus, formerly of GoodCo Press, who was visiting and is our newest Emeritus Member.

We concluded by all making a toast to PEA’s 34^th anniversary!

PEA businesses are starting 2012 off well!  Congratulations on everyone’s successes this month.

• Bette Asbra, Pro-Staff Painting thanked Tom Brown, All Reasons Moving and Terry Pebbles, Optimum Floors.  Terry put in a beautiful hardwood floor for a client and All Reasons not only moved the furniture out for the installation, when they moved it back in they put on anti-scratch pads.
• Dan Ingerman, Wemorph said that they just worked on designing a set for a TV show.  The TV show is based in Palo Alto and Dan will be talking about sustainability.
• Larry Hassett, Hardware Stores took a car that needed body work to Scott Yeaman, Yeaman Autobody. He wrote a positive review for Scott’s web site, which entered him into a drawing.  Larry won a Flip Video camera, which he likes a lot.
• Jon Maystrik, Arborwell Professional Tree Management had a great year last year.  Arborwell had great growth last year especially in Southern California.  Jon had a great year personally and thanked PEA for contributing to that.
• Georgie Gleim, Gleim the Jeweler was in New York last week and wanted to report that the Christmas holiday season was good for them.  She thanked everyone at PEA who helped make that possible.
• Richard Phillips, Advantage Career Solutions, says that this has been a good year so far for his clients.  One just signed off on a job as an IT Director with a pay raise.  Another was hired with a sign-on bonus at PayPal.
• Albert Ong, Ambassador Services signed a big contract with Stanford.  He immediately had to go in with one day’s notice to clean carpets before a Saturday event.
• Avi Safar, Footwear, Etc., said that December was a record month for them, especially in the Palo Alto and Los Altos stores.
• Judy Johnson, Unexpected Treasures thanked Robin Azevedo, McRoskey Mattress Company for sending the most interesting new client in several years.  She also thanked Darnel Rogan, Saber Roofing for a lead on a job in Atherton.
• Shawn McMillan, Connoisseur Coffee thanked everyone for the orders over the last week.  It has been 13 months since the fire and he is now hoping to re-open in a few more months.
• Julie Fukuhara, Stern Mortgage says that in doing her business tracking at the end of the year, she saw that 25% of her business came through Yelp.  Anyone who doesn’t have a Yelp profile should be working to correct that.
• Darnel Rogan, Saber Roofing thanked Bob Rosenberg, GR8WORK Builders, Inc. for a lead on job in Portola Valley.
• Bobbie Fakkema, Events, Etc… thanked Jeff Badzik, Perfection Auto Detail for the beautiful detailing on her car.  She also thanked Laurie and Larry Moore, Larry’s Autoworks for going over her car (one of the things she bought at the Holiday Auction).
• Carol Garsten, Nature Gallery said there is a good reason why you haven’t seen her at the meetings lately – she is moving the Nature Gallery to a new location in Los Altos.  The new address is 296 State Street, Los Altos.  She plans a Grand Opening on February 10.  She also reported that January was her best January in 25 years of business.  She thanked Georgie Gleim, Gleim the Jeweler for sponsoring her in PEA and suggesting the Los Altos location.  She thanked Dave Dove, Cassidy Turley BT Commercial, for helping her negotiate the lease in her new location. Finally, she thanked Susan Hamilton, VTF Services for the help with the plants.
• Larry Moore, Larry’s Autoworks thanked Jon Maystrik, Arborwell Professional Tree Management for the beautiful job they did on their trees.   The neighbors came over and complimented the job.  Laurie Moore, Larry’s AutoWorks thanked Susan Hamilton, VTF Services, for coming over and taking piles of redwood chips from their tree trimming project.
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons thanked Dan Ingerman, Wemorph for the new Seniors Seasons sign-on-a-stand.  This solves an upcoming problem of needing to be in two places at once, thus needing a second banner.
• Dr. Leta Zwiebel, Psychologist announced that last Wednesday was her last in San Mateo.  She is now only going to her San Mateo office on Mondays.  While she feared that her patients would be unhappy about this change, she got positive responses from them.
• Gary Rudolph, Rudolph’s Interiors thanked Angelo Izzo, California Business Opportunities for his help investigating a business opportunity.

Besides sharing information on services, tips, advice, etc. from each business, PEA also spends one meeting a quarter focused on special programs, including discussions on marketing, panels of members sharing their expertise, and tips on how to become a green business.  Back in July, the Program Committee planned a special program designed to give everyone a few new marketing ideas the old-fashioned way rather than through Internet marketing.  This was an opportunity to hear ideas for getting new customers or keeping existing ones that work for other businesses.

Here are a few of the ideas mentioned at the meeting:

• Laurie Moore, Larry’s AutoWorks said that they use license plate frames, recyclable bags, post it notes, a monthly newsletter and they ask their satisfied customers to give them referrals.  Larry Moore, Larry’s Autoworks added that they pre-book service appointments and give both reminder and follow-up calls.  They use line ads in the yellow pages that focus on what they do, not their name.
• Bobbie Fakkema, Events, Etc… invites clients to a tasting at her warehouse once a year.  They are encouraged to bring a guest with them.
• Mike Clark, Michael J. Clark, CPA makes completing your tax returns as easy as possible.  They are already stamped and only need to be signed and mailed with a check.
• Rick Rosensweig, Morgan Stanley runs events where he invites outside speakers.  He also sends out a newsletter.
• Rolf Kruger, Flicker, Kerin, Kruger & Bissada belongs to professional associations and works to make sure his clients have a positive experience.
• Sam Harding, Retirement Administration supports local organizations like the Obon Festival, especially when there is a connection with one of his clients.
• John Sylvester, SST Insurance Brokers has learned not to assume that his clients already know about all of his services.
• Shawn McMillan, Connoisseur Coffee has signs for his clients to display reading “Proudly serving Connoisseur Coffee.”  They give open houses and donate coffee to community events.
• Don Miller, Honorary Member said that when he was a practicing dentist, he called patients at night to check on them after a procedure.
• Larry Hassett, Hardware Stores sponsors community events like the Rock the Block event in Half Moon Bay and belongs to service clubs.
• Konrad Thaler, Smilin Dogs makes sure that every sense is addressed when you walk into Smilin Dogs:  it smells clean, the floor looks clean, the atmosphere is friendly, and there are photos of client dogs having fun to spark the human clients’ imaginations.
• Cheri Jackson, Older Adult Care Management says they have a celebrity spokesperson, Willie Mays’ wife.
• Julie Fukuhara, Stern Mortgage has a by-invitation special networking event for professionals in related fields.  Each participant receives a roster with contact information for all participants for the day.
• Randy Mills, Pioneer Services uses his van as a mobile billboard.
• Fawni Hill, Larick Alan Hill uses job signs and sends postcards to clients with photos of recent projects.
• John King, Keller-Williams Realty puts up signs at every property and gives out pens, key chains, and water bottles.  He uses a direct mail campaign and has been a Little League team sponsor.
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons does speaking engagements, belongs to professional groups, and attends senior fairs.  She gives out personal information organizers with her business name.
• Tom Brown, All Reasons Moving has the company name on trucks, uses direct mail, gives their business name to realtors, and sends out Christmas cards.
• Jon Maystrik, Arborwell Professional Tree Management says that Arborwell has a marketing manager and takes marketing very seriously.  They do it all: run ads, go to trade shows, golf tournaments, send thank you cards, and have a direct mail campaign.  Their white trucks with company logo are washed every week, and they have sponsorships and practice philanthropy.
• Scott Foster, Cassidy Turley BT Commercial tells everyone what he does, including when he coaches water polo.

A full list summarizing all the tips mentioned was handed out to all of PEA’s members.

Interested in joining PEA?  Visit our website to learn more.

Kaye Sharbough, Senior Seasons was recently featured on ABC7′s show “Beyond the Headlines,” hosted by Cheryl Jennings.  This particular episode focused on elder care and Kaye was one of four studio guests.

Kaye describes Senior Seasons and their role as a referral agency for senior housing.  Click here to read Kaye’s post on Senior Seasons‘s website ‘Affordable Housing is Not Just a Dream’, the article Kaye refers to in her interview.

To see Kaye’s interview click here and start watching at the 13:10 mark.  Great job, Kaye!

It’s that time again… time to celebrate successes in August!

• Dr. Chuck Fulanovich, Palo Alto Chiropractic , thanked Albert Ong, Ambassador Services for helping them clean up pools of water from the floor and carpet.  He also thanked Dave Dove, Cassidy Turley BT Commercial, for helping find a possible tenant.
• Judy Ott, Judy Ott Organization and Design says that her business has taken off, partly due to connecting with older adults who need an organizer.
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons thanked Sue Ballew, Skytrekker Aviation for the air tour.  She also mentioned that Judy Johnson, Unexpected Treasures will be speaking at Avenidas.
• Susan Hamilton, VTF Services thanked Larry Moore, Larry’s Autoworks and his diagnostician, Bob, for finally getting to the bottom of a tough-to-solve problem with her car.
• Judy Johnson, Unexpected Treasures thanked Jon Maystrik, Arborwell Professional Tree Management for checking her trees.
• Patrick Banks, Banks Electric, thanked Werner Rogmans, Stanford Floral Design for the beautiful bouquet that he bought for staging his home, which is on the market.
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons thanked Carol Garsten, Nature Gallery for the new earrings that she bought at the open house last week.  She also thanked Larry Hassett, Hardware Stores for carrying such cool stuff in his stores – they are a great shopping spot for her hard-to-buy-for relatives.  Check out the duct tape wallets.
• Tom Brown, All Reasons Moving says they continue to be very busy this year.  He says that the most recent business has been driven by their Internet marketing efforts.
• Mike Clark, Michael J. Clark, CPA thanked Larry Hassett, Hardware Stores for the grill cleaning product that gets your grill clean in six minutes with no scraping.

Another great month for PEA businesses!

• Judy Johnson, Unexpected Treasures is having an estate sale in San Francisco at the home of the late Milton Marks, a former California senator.  She also thanked John Sylvester, SST Insurance Brokers, who is helping her with a case of a bad fall at a previous estate sale.
• Georgie Gleim, Gleim the Jeweler recommended Jeff Badzik, Perfection Auto Detail on an Internet group and found he was also recommended by two other people.
• Konrad Thaler, Smilin Dogs announced that he just signed a five-year lease on a nearby building.  Smilin Dogs will be expanding into the 5,500 square foot space soon.
• Bobbie Fakkema, Events, Etc… was away and thanked Scott Yeaman, Yeaman Autobody for fixing her car bumper and Albert Ong, Ambassador Services for cleaning her carpet while she was gone.
• Tom Brown, All Reasons Moving said that June was a record month for them and their busiest ever.
• Laurie Moore, Larry’s AutoWorks attended an automotive group conference and was surprised (but pleased) to find that they made the cover of the group’s magazine.
• Kaye Sharbrough, Senior Seasons thanked Tom Brown, All Reasons Moving for helping her clients move to Sunrise.  She thanked Cheri Jackson, Older Adult Care Management for her help, too.
• Rick Rosensweig, Morgan Stanley said that Jonathon Ong and his employee did a great job on the carpet while Albert Ong, Ambassador Services was gone.
• Carol Garsten, Nature Gallery is excited about re-launching her web site.  The address is www.nature-gallery.com and she invites everyone at PEA to check it out and to visit her store at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto.
• Georgie Gleim, Gleim the Jeweler thanked Mike Feller, Innovative Sales & Leasing for handling a long distance deal and Robin Azevedo, McRoskey Mattress Company for an endorsement.  She just returned from New York City as the new Chairperson of the Jewelers of America.  She also announced that Gleim was designated Best Jeweler in the County Almanac.