Cynthia Kay - Small Business for Big Thinkers: Unconventional Strategies to Connect with and Win Big Business

Cynthia is the consummate small business owner. Her energy and passion for helping other small businesses is evident to all who know her and this book is her way of sharing the knowledge so that others can thrive and grow. I highly recommend it.

Rob Fowler, president and CEO, Small Business Association of Michigan

Cynthia Kay has small business success in her DNA. Her instincts about business development, people development, financial management and organizational growth are spot on. Small Business for Big Thinkers gives us a chance to learn from Cynthias experiences and get a head start on the growing economic boom that is small business.

Beth Kelly, managing partner, HR Collaborative and author of The EE Gap

Cynthia has always been positive and confident in her business pursuits and with this book you now get to find out how and why she has been so successful. This book is full of the nitty gritty advice all small business owners need to make it in todays volatile world!

Fred Keller, chair and CEO, Cascade Engineering, Past Chair Department of Commerce Manufacturing Advisory Council,

Cynthia Kay, along with the outstanding business owners she profiles, provides the kind of fresh thinking that business owners need. Her unconventional strategies for attracting big business can benefit companies, no matter how large or small. Its a great read!

Jim Dunlap, senior executive vice president, regional and commercial banking director, Huntington Bank

Cynthia Kay has presented a number of training sessions for BDO. Her insights on how to respond to RFPs and create great presentations to connect and deepen the relationship with large customers can benefit businesses large and small.

Matthew K. Becker, regional managing partner, tax services, BDO USA, LLP

UNCONVENTIONAL STRATEGIES TO CONNECT WITH AND WIN BIG BUSINESS

CYNTHIA KAY

Copyright 2013 by Cynthia Kay

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.

SMALL BUSINESS FOR BIG THINKERS
EDITED BY ROGER SHEETY
Cover design by Rob Johnson/Toprotype
Printed in the U.S.A.

To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for further information on books from Career Press.

The Career Press, Inc.
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Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
www.careerpress.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Kay, Cynthia, 1953

Small business for big thinkers : unconventional strategies to connect with and win big business / by Cynthia Kay ; foreword by Brian Walker.

pages cm

Summary: A small business is not just a scaled-down version of a big one. In fact, some of the strategies that work well for larger companies may actually be completely irrelevant for smaller firms. Small Business for Big Thinkers offers unconventional but proven strategies to run a better small business. It also provides a roadmap for owners looking to expand their small businesses by doing more business with Big Business-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-60163-287-6 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-60163-506-8 (ebook) 1. Small business--Management. 2. Big business. 3. Strategic planning. 4. Management. I. Title.

HD62.7.K39 2014

658.4012--dc23

2013034209

TO MY PARENTS, ANN AND GUS, WHO TAUGHT ME TO BE A BIG THINKER, NOT ONLY IN BUSINESS BUT IN LIFE.

It is a simple fact. I would not have had the time to take on the task of writing this book, if it were not for my sister, Vicki, and her husband, Charles. In addition to running an impressive small business, they are also caring for our parents day to day. They are my heroes. The support of my brother, Steve, and sister-in-law, Bess, along with family and friends has been immeasurable. My thanks go out to the staff at Cynthia Kay and Company. These are individuals who share my love of small business, and they prove it every day.

My journey to become an author began a few years ago, but changed the day I met John Willig. The event was a Meet the Agents Day in Philadelphia, a kind of speed dating experience. You get three minutes to pitch your book to a variety of literary agents and publishers who you signed up to see in advance. I was meeting with a publisher when it hit me. Instead of pitching my book, I asked him, Could you look around the room and tell me which agent you would trust to bring you a good business book? Without hesitation he said, John Willig. Unfortunately, I was not signed up to see him. I jumped into his line anyway and, with the help of a few authors who gave me cuts, I made it to the front. John understood the concept immediately, and I got an amazing agent. I am truly grateful for his help and efforts in finding my book a place with Career Press. In todays world, many publishers will not take a chance on an unknown author. Career Press did, and Ron Frys team has been great in welcoming me to the world of publishing, offering guidance and support. Thanks to Michael Pye, Laurie Kelly-Pye, Adam Schwartz, Howard Grossman and Jeff Piasky (love the cover), Roger Sheety, Gina Talucci, and Kirsten Dalley. I hope this is the first of many projects we work on together.

There are others I want to acknowledge. Without my big customers and fellow small business owners, there would be no book. Every person I contacted to provide content said yes, and was generous with his and her time. I dont even know how to thank all of the people at Herman Miller who I have worked with through the years. Herman Miller was my first big customer, and they remain among my favorite people. Siemens, Inc. has also been a wonderful partner, and my thanks go to Carl Oberland. Jim Dunlap and Huntington Bank are my customers, and I am a customer of theirs. Thats a true partnership. Thanks to Bob Fish, Heidi Hennink-Kaminski, John Kowalski, Marilyn Landis, Mark Peters, and Rachael Price for all their stories. I did not even know Christopher Locke, but he responded to an e-mail for help and was a great resource. Others who provided assistance and content include Lynn Afendoulis, Michelle Bottrall, Christa Bird, and Sheila VanZile.

My thanks to all, you know how much you mean to me.

by Brian Walker

Chapter 1
Big Business Is Waiting: Where are You?

Chapter 2
Have an Exit Strategy Before You Open the Doors

Chapter 3
Get Smart About Partnering: Create a Business Prenup

Chapter 4
Find the Money Needed to Launch and the Credit to Keep Going

Chapter 5
Hire the Right People at the Right Time

Chapter 6
Create a Great Work Space

Chapter 7
Pay Attention to Small CustomersThey Can Get Bigger

Chapter 8
Recognize When to Love Clients and When to Leave Them

Chapter 9
Be Ahead of the Pack, but Not Too Far Ahead

Chapter 10
Know When Its Time for Employees to Go

Chapter 11
Choose to Get Big or Stay Small

Chapter 12
The Big Business Buyers Perspective