Business

Web firm changed sales focus; Jelly maker in new space and keeping goals at hand

Each Monday, a local small business gets advice from a local business consultant. Today, we look back at two businesses to see how the advice is paying off. The update: Vizant Group

Since the makeover almost six months ago, Steven Rahn has been redefining his Web service business. "I am always looking for ways to improve," he said. Rahn followed Joe Donato's advice to stay active in networking groups. He is active in his Business Network International group, which provided him with additional contacts as well as confidence in his services. "I am very confident when I stand up and talk to people about what I do," Rahn said. "It helps improve how I am perceived in a professional light." He started his business by doing simple Web site designs, but with more confidence in his abilities, Rahn is now reaching out to clients with more complex Web sites. Rahn decided to refocus after doing some market research of his own. He found that the market for simple Web site design was very competitive - a lot of businesses are even doing it themselves. But instead of competing with inexpensive do-it-yourself sites, he found his own market niche. "Some people just want a one-page Web site, and it's like a business card online," he said. That means he is creating products for other Web developers that they might be able to offer to their customers - like interactive photo galleries and shopping carts. He also has created a service to help Web designers run their business better. The Vizant Tracker enables Web hosting businesses to keep track of different sites, passwords and billing cycles. "I have been really focused on that the last month," Rahn said. But his services still focus on functionality, he said. The makeover demonstrated how you can never predict where the next account or the next client will come from, he said. Rahn said he is on track to achieve his goal of doubling his annual revenues. "It appears to be going well," he said. The update: Heavenly Spreadables

At the time of her makeover last spring Denise McCreery, owner of Heavenly Spreadables, was looking for kitchen space for her expanding jelly business. Now she is settling into her 1,200-square-foot space at 5033 E. Fifth St., and there is enough room for a kitchen and a retail space. "We weren't looking for a retail space," McCreery said. "But in this place we can do retail conveniently while working on wholesale business." The retail shop will open July 1, but McCreery is determined to stay focused on the wholesale side of the business. "Reneé changed my entire working habits," she said of her makeover consultant. "I would get buried under my task list, and I kept losing focus." McCreery now keeps a copy of goals and visions in front of her all the time, as business coach Reneé Freedman suggested. "I wrote down my goals, and they are on the first page of my Day-Timer," McCreery said. "It helps to see them several times a day." She also keeps her goals on a three-foot calendar so she can quickly see due dates and prioritize her work. "Reneé taught me great self-management skills," McCreery said. "I had the business sense, but she gave me the skills to manage my time and stay focused, which allowed my business skills to come out." One part of the business McCreery is still trying to master is the balance of family and work. "It's still the most challenging aspect of the business. She is making her business family-friendly - her 5-year-old daughter helps her out in the new kitchen, putting labels on jars or sweeping the floor. This is still the first year for Heavenly Spreadables, and McCreery is discovering the seasonal shifts in business. "Sales have been slowing down for the summer," she said. "But it's a great opportunity to work on marketing and re-evaluating the business." Since March, Heavenly Spreadables products have shown up at El Charro Café, Pastiche Modern Eatery and other restaurants around town. "We discovered there is a market out there selling to restaurants," McCreery said. She has stopped participating in art fairs, at least until it cools off, but she is attending trade fairs to sell her products to retailers across the Southwest. McCreery predicted she will sell 50,000 jars in the first year, and she feels the business will definitely meet that milestone. "I would be surprised if we didn't."