Author: Kip Marlow

John Allin started his snow plowing business in Erie, Pa with a pickup truck and a snow plow.  Most snow removal companies are landscapers in the summer and plow snow in the winter.  John’s company was the exception.  He was thinking globally, and only on snow.

His first opportunity to expand came from a request to bid on a contract for First Union Bank.  He was awarded the contract and managed 1,300 sites in thirteen states.  However, his big chance came from the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2000.  He and 150 other snow plowing companies were interviewed by Olympic officials for the big job of snow management.

During his interview, John detected that value was the issue over price.   He determined that the Olympic official’s real need was to reduce the risk of the snow management process, so he rolled the dice.  He offered to perform all the snow removal for the entire Olympics for $3,800,000 and would accept all the risk.

The officials delighted with his proposal accepted it, and even cancelled other snow management agreements.  John’s contract ended up being worth well over $5,000,000, by far the highest bid.  All because John thought about finding the need, or as some people say, finding that point of pain.

In a recent Entrepreneurs Club interview with Kip Marlow, John explained the process.

Listen here. 

Author: Kip Marlow

It is very hard to believe, but many companies are started without regard to obtaining the proper insurance coverage, but also without even researching the legal issues.  Frank Manning from Manning and Manning strongly recommends anyone starting a business to see an attorney first, and become “legal” before it’s too late.

In an Entrepreneurs Club Radio interview, Mr. Manning outlines the two major legal things any entrepreneur should do when beginning his venture.

1.    Create the entity.  It could be an LLC, or a Sub Chapter S, but your attorney can guide you accordingly.

2.    Read the documents.  When signing contracts with suppliers, vendors, and even agreements with employees, make sure you read and understand all the fine print.

Please listen to Mr. Manning explain the importance of these two vital rules. 

Author: Kip Marlow

Not all startups are the same and many have different insurance needs, but when researching the protection required for your new venture, ask this question: “What catastrophe could put me out of business?” Then go after the proper coverage.

Most of the time you should consider general liability insurance for problems caused by an injury or damage to property, but even more insurance may be needed. Always check with your insurance agent to make sure you are safe.

Brian Tornow, of Strassman Insurance has a vast amount of experience insuring thousands of businesses throughout his career. When interviewed on an Entrepreneurs Club Radio program he outlined the types of insurances applicable for most startups.

Please listen here. 

Author: Kip Marlow

The economy is on an upswing and after a few years of losses, many small businesses are coming back strong.  Is it a good time to sell your company, or even buy another one?  The answer is a resounding YES.

There is more cash currently available in the marketplace to sell or buy a company, and the banks are opening their vaults to lend for both strategies.  However, the banks aren’t lending as much as just a few years ago, so it’s still a challenge to obtain a loan.  But if your profits and balance sheet look good, banks will be more cooperative.  Now is the time to cultivate those banking relationships, and plan for your future.

Rick Sippola of Chautauqua Consulting is a specialist on developing packages to buy, sell and merge companies.  Listen to his views on the current financial atmosphere a recent radio interview. 

Author: Kip Marlow

Few people would equate proper delegation to time management, but delegating correctly can save small business owners lots of time.  Many entrepreneurs delegate, but do it without a plan and without understanding some of the potential consequences.

Here are some the things that we do incorrectly:

1.    We don’t delegate fully.

2.    We don’t clarify what we want.

3.    We don’t plan for delegation.

Plan for delegation?  Yes, just like we plan a marketing campaign, planning for delegation is a HUGE key.  For example, some people need to have clarity when asked to do something. Others have to have something put in writing with the exact needs, while many people just need a phone call.  Delegating properly and understanding personality types should be part of your time management process.

In a recent Entrepreneurs Club Radio interview, David Rust of

The Next Level Workshop, talks about planning for delegation and those pesky personality types.

Please listen to this short podcast.

Frank Manning, Esq. of Manning and Manning has extensive experience and excellent advice on how to protect an entrepreneur’s company assets.It can be as easy as judicious use of a confidentiality agreement.

In a recent Entrepreneurs Club Radio interview, Mr. Manning relates his ideas on how to prevent problems that could damage your company.

Please watch this short video.

In a recent Entrepreneurs Club Radio interview, Toby Maloney, Vice President of Business Development, talks about why they have been so successful.

Please watch this short video.