Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Financial advisor finds more freedom, less stress away from Wall Street

Showcasing early entrepreneurs has a twofold purpose. One is to offer an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. The second is to provide a forum through which they can guide other aspiring business owners around avoidable obstacles and toward a path of attainable goals. Sharing insights begins with hearing their stories firsthand beginning with a conversation with
Frank Griseta, financial advisor
The Griseta group
847-923-1707
fgriseta@focusfinancial.com
http://www.focusfinancial.com/

MY MOTIVATION
I realized early on that the trend among Wall Street financial institutions was to focus more on revenue than on what was best for the customer. This wasn’t my approach. I wanted to do something that was more efficient and a lot more beneficial for the client. I wanted to perform this way within the firms that I had worked, but wasn’t allowed to. Meanwhile, I continued providing my clients with a very great value at a very reasonable price. As a result, when I moved my practice to my new firm, most of my clients came with me. I was told by a very successful person that if you want to work for a company that doesn’t exist, go out and create it. And that is exactly what I did.

ABOUT MY BUSINESS
The Griseta Group focuses on comprehensive financial planning for its clients. Outside of just investments linked to the stock market which, of course, is a very important part of a financial plan, I like to look at the overall financial picture and try to help clients have financial success not only in one area, but in all areas of their lives. I feel that once someone is well-rounded from a financial standpoint that it alleviates a lot of stress from their life.

MY UNIQUENESS
Because the margins are tight among the competition, most of them look at the amount of assets coming in and invest them simply to generate the greatest amount of revenue. To me, it’s more about getting a person from point A to point B. I feel that the way I invest money and the fee that I charge creates a lot of transparency. My approach allows the client to see the activity within their portfolios to the point where it’s clear that I am not just trying to generate revenue. Even before I create a relationship with a client, I explain to them how I will be moving their assets and how I be compensated, so that they have a complete understanding of the process as well as of each transaction.

MY IDEAL CLIENT
Usually, I look for clients with at least $250,000 to $500,000 or more in investible assets. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that people under those amounts are not entitled to financial planning, we well. For people who fall into this category, I have established programs that are just as transparent as those that I offer my other clients.

MARKETING METHODS
I’m a pretty avid networker. I attend a great number of events on a regular basis, but do so strategically. I try to target those in their 40s to 60s who most likely are in the asset bracket on which I’m focused. I also recently rejoined the Greater O’Hare Association and Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce which I think will be a good fit for me.

SHARED ADVICE
What surprised me the most about starting my business and being away from Wall Street was the amount of freedom that I have in being able to take care of my clients. If you are less stressed you can perform at your best. Moving away from the corporate rat race is allowing me to do that. The one thing that I would have done differently would be to have more help in the beginning. Moving a book of business requires a lot of paperwork of which I did 95 percent by myself. I’d tell prospective entrepreneurs that entrepreneurship is very rewarding. Make sure you do your homework, make certain you are prepared, and have the proper funding necessary to serve your clients. Make use of an advisor or mentor to help you distinguish between the emotional decisions and the business decisions. In the end, just never give up.

Editor's question: How many of you entrepreneurs have also built the business that you've always wanted to work for?

Monday, December 13, 2010

Professional segues from commercial interior design into commercial real estate sales

Showcasing early entrepreneurs has a twofold purpose. One is to offer an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. The second is to provide a forum through which they can guide other aspiring business owners around avoidable obstacles and toward a path of attainable goals. Sharing insights begins with hearing their stories firsthand beginning with a conversation with

Patricia Keegan, senior vice president
Vertical Brokerage, Inc.
O: 312-362-0360
M: 847-612-0504
F: 847-550-0679
keegan@vbire.com
www.verticalbrokerage.com

MY MOTIVATION
There were several circumstances that motivated my becoming a commercial real estate broker with Vertical Brokerage. First, I had more than 20 years in the corporate world of land acquisitions, corporate building, recruiting tenants, negotiating their leases, getting their space designed, etc. So, I had that behind me. Secondly, after I left the corporate world four years ago, I started an interior decorating business. I became certified as an interior decorator and also had earned certification as a commercial interior decorating specialist. Then, more recently, a friend offered me the opportunity to join her brokerage firm as senior vice president of commercial real estate. So, I decided to jump at that. But, in order to do so I first had to go to school to obtain a real estate brokerage license which I did and, subsequently, joined Vertical Brokerage.

ABOUT OUR BUSINESS
Vertical Brokerage is a small commercial real estate brokerage firm that works with the small business person who wants a small office or retail space. Our focus is on anything under 20,000 sq-ft. which the large firms traditionally don’t care to handle. As far as our marketing efforts, we use traditional online brokerage sites to list our properties, do a lot of networking, and make use of a onsite signage at our listed properties.

OUR UNIQUENESS
Along with our niche of serving the small business owner, Vertical Brokerage specializes in helping both owners and tenants find the right match. While we do help clients find land or buildings for investment purposes, our expertise goes beyond just helping them find properties, we also help them evaluate the perspective space, show them how they can use it efficiently and effectively, and help them build the business image they want to convey through interior design recommendations.

IDEAL CLIENT
Our ideal clients are building owners who are seeking tenants, business owners who are seeking office or retail space and investors who are looking for commercial properties to add to their investment portfolios. Our area of focus is from Naperville to Vernon Hills along the Schaumburg corridor.

SHARED ADVICE
If I would have done anything differently, it would have been to start this career sooner. I just feel that this is such a perfect fit for me. I love the idea of helping clients find the right space and match tenants with landlords looking for the perfect tenant. Tenants, on the other hand, are looking for the perfect space that is functional and a landlord who is reasonable. So, making those match ups is what this job is all about. The best advice I can offer new entrepreneurs is to choose a business that you love, because, if you love what you’re doing everything else will fall into place.

Editor's question: How many of you have changed career paths within the last year?

Monday, December 6, 2010

Relocating at start of recession causes event planner to rebuild

Showcasing experienced entrepreneurs offers an added marketing communications or social media element to help promote their businesses. In addition, it provides a forum through which they can share solutions to unique business challenges that might be the answer to a similar challenge with which yet another entrepreneur is struggling. This openness of information flows with the following story offered by

Melissa Bingham, president
Bingham Marketing & Events
mcbingham@binghammarketingevents.com
www.binghammarketingevents.com
847-716-0673

ABOUT MY BUSINESS
Bingham Marketing & Events offers full-service event and meeting planning for businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals. I also work with many smaller businesses on their marketing needs which includes developing and implementing their marketing plans.

MY UNIQUENESS
Unlike most event planners, I bring the marketing experience to everything that I do. I really look at everything from a marketing prospective. Every event, every promotion, and every social event is all about marketing no matter how obvious or subtle. I always start out with asking what is the client’s goal, what are we trying to achieve?

IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE
My Ideal client is someone who wants to make a mark or establish a presence and enhance their brand. They know they want to make a great impression and difference in their business, but don’t exactly know how.

UNIQUE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
My family relocated here two and a half years ago, so my initial challenge was to re-establish myself in the Chicagoland marketplace. I’ve had my company since 1997 in both Indianapolis and Detroit, and when we moved here in the summer of 2008, I had a grand plan of what I was going to do and how I was going to market the business. Then the market turned. Consequently, the Detroit business that I thought was going to continue was cancelled. At that point, I had to step back and re-evaluate not only how I was going to establish whole new client and vendor bases, but also how I was going to do that on no marketing budget.

EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION
Because the Chicagoland market is so diverse, I made the decision to initially focus in a microcosm and then slowly expand my base outward. I began networking like crazy. I looked at what organizations I wanted to join, what types of events I needed to attend, what kinds of things could I volunteer for to get myself known. I have been fortunate that most of my business over the years has come by way of referrals. I have been working harder than I ever have to gain new clients. As a result, 2010 has developed into a good year. Now, my plan is to move out of this microcosm and widen the scope of my business by attending more diverse events and making more connections.

Editor's question: What case studies of entrepreneurs successfully starting or rebuilding a business during a down economy can you share?